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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: neilh on July 22, 2011, 05:10:08 PM

Title: Example from The Manchester Glass Bottle Works
Post by: neilh on July 22, 2011, 05:10:08 PM

Here's a nice little find bought from eBay USA. This is from the Manchester Glass Bottle Works and marked "Woolfall Manchester" on the base. The Works was started circa 1833 by three men from Warrington, Thomas Percival (whose son ran Percival & Vickers), John Woolfall and William Jackson. Jackson left the business in 1840 and Percival died in 1850, after which John Woolfall carried on business for about 20 years, dating this bottle between 1850 and 1870. It is a 3 piece mould and the colour of the glass is very dark, virtually impenetrable towards the base. You can see a massive air bubble in the glass. I haven't seen any other pieces attributed to this bottle works.

I was a bit surprised that a bottle this early is marked but I am rather out of my depth with bottle glass. Does anyone know when bottles started to be stamped with the maker's name? 1860s, which this likely is, is quite early I would have thought. I would also be interested if anyone knew what it added to the glass to make it such a dark colour...

Title: Re: Example from The Manchester Glass Bottle Works
Post by: Anne on July 23, 2011, 01:54:33 AM

Neil, what a super bottle! Have you seen this topic elsewhere about Woolfall bottles? It might help a bit more (if only for the contacts - one of whom is a Woolfall!) http://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/Woolfall/m-44310/tm.htm

Title: Re: Example from The Manchester Glass Bottle Works
Post by: neilh on July 23, 2011, 06:44:15 AM

Wow, thanks Anne that was very helpfull. I see on that thread there is a "Percival Woolfall" bottle so they must have been adding the name to the base pre 1850. And one of them turned up in a shipwreck in Indonesia!