Box Hill Brewery

Location: The Rising Sun (Now a bus lay-by on Box Hill).
Date: c.1907-1925.

In the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette of 7th September 1786 there was this announcement that may have later aroused interest in this area for a Mineral Water manufacturer, clearly the waters arising in the local area were thought to have medicinal properties:

This Day Published - price Three-pence,

A BRIEF ACCOUNT of the QUALITIES of

the newly discovered MINERAL WATER at MIDDLE-

HILL near Box.

By Wm. FALCONER, of Bath, M.D.F.R.S.

Bath. printed by R. Cruttwell, and sold by the Booksellers.

Stone Ginger beer Bottle
MAPS / TRADE ("KEYSTONE" in Picture) MARK / ORIGINAL / STONE BEER / BREWERS / BOX. 8.75" high. Potter: Price, Bristol. Chisel Shaped Int. Screw Stopper.

6 & 10oz Codd Bottles
Embossed lenghwise: MAPS _REGD. (front); BOX. (back) 247270 under 10 sided base. 20.3cm (8") & 22.7cm (9") high. Makers likely Redfearn Bros. Barnsley. (R B B on base of 6 & 10oz Milsom.

6 & 10oz Codd Bottles
Embossed lengthwise: MILSOM (Front); BOX (back). Number gone from 10 sided base. 20.3cm (8") & 22.7cm (9") high. Makers likely Redfearn Bros. Barnsley.

Pint Lemonade/Beer Bottles
Embossed lenghwise: MAPS _REGD. (front); BOX. (back) . 247270 under 10 sided base. (Apple green glass) Also MILSOM (front); BOX (back). Number gone from 10 sided base. (Aqua glass and dark green glass) Makers Redfearn Bros. Barnsley.

Half Pint Lemonade/Beer Bottle
Embossed lenghwise: MAPS _REGD. (front); BOX. (back) 10 sided base. Makers Redfearn Bros. Barnsley. (Fragment)

2 Gallon Stone Jar
Printed front & back: MAPS / TRADE MARK / (Picture of girl with bottles) / STRENGTH & PURITY. Example on left has handle broken off (possibly deliberately) and contemporary metal handle fitted. Potter: Price, Sons & Co. Bristol. Int. Screw Stopper, Tap Aperture.

3 Gallon Stone Jar
Printed front & back: MAPS / TRADE MARK / (Picture of girl with bottles) / STRENGTH & PURITY / BOX. Potter: Price, Sons & Co. Bristol. Int. Screw Stopper, Patent Tap Aperture. Early numbered examples have "BOX" but later ones do not.

2 Gallon Stone Jar
DAVID MILSOM / BOX. Potter: Price Bristol. Int. Screw Stopper, Tap Aperture.

Soda Syphons
Etched: MAPS / ("ROYAL" on some) / TRADE MARK / (Picture of girl with bottles) / PURITY / ENGLAND / AS ORDERED BY MOST DOCTORS / (RD. NO. 56591 on syphons with "ROYAL"). Variations in clear, pink or blue glass and conical or cylindrical shape.

Soda Syphon
Etched: MAPS / ROYAL / TRADE MARK / (Picture of girl with bottles) / PURITY / ENGLAND / AS ORDERED BY MOST DOCTORS / RD. NO. 56591 . Pale lime green Uranium Glass.

Half Pint Lemonade/Beer Bottle
Embossed lengthwise: MAPS / REG^D Left - Makers R. B. B. REGD No. 247270 on base. (Redfearn Bros. Barnsley.) Height 8.5" (21.5cm). Right - Makers: P & R, B on base along with Regd. number 247270. (Powell & Ricketts, Bristol)

Half Pint Lemonade/Beer Bottle
Embossed lengthwise: MAPS / REG^D Makers: P & R, B on base along with Regd. number 247270. (Powell & Ricketts, Bristol)

Soda Syphon
Etched: MAPS / ROYAL / TRADE MARK / (Picture of girl with bottles) / PURITY / ENGLAND / AS ORDERED BY MOST DOCTORS / RD. NO. 56591 . Swirled in dark apple green glass. Image courtesy Chris Bultitude.

David Milsom

David Milsom was born in Holt in 1833. Son of Joseph Rudge Milsom, a quarryman, & Mary Pitman. In 1839, Joseph was a witness in a poaching case, at which time he was the keeper of a Beer Shop called "The Steamer" about a mile from Mr. Fuller's estate on which the offences occurred. (Wiltshire Independent - Thursday 14 March 1839 p.3.)

David, with his wife Amelia Razy from Huish, were farmers of 24 Acres in 1861 at Box Hill where David’s father and mother then kept the Rising Sun, he lived next door. Joseph was a yearly tenant at the pub when the freehold was sold on 22nd May 1860 by auction at the Chequers Inn, Box. David & Amelia married in the summer of 1856, registered in Pewsey, Wilts.

By 1871 David was already running the pub, his parents had swapped houses and were now living next door as grocers. Joseph, David's father, died in 1875. David & Amelia’s children were: Eliza (1857-1911); John (1858-1930); Harriet Mary (1859-1946); David (1861-1925); Ann Amelia (1863-1939); Emma Jane (1865-1940); George Arthur (1867-1918); Ellen; Florence Louisa (1873); Agnes Maud (b.1877).

David, at Rising Sun 17 March 1892, was in the papers because somebody set his hay ricks on fire. On 16th June 1890 David’s wife Amelia dies at the Rising Sun aged 56. David himself died on 2nd March 1899 leaving his estate to John Milsom and Robert Frederick Lee, fur & skin merchant. £1762. His son David carried on the business with his sisters Harriet as housekeeper and Ann as cook.

The freehold of the Rising Sun was advertised for sale in the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Thursday 28 November 1901 by Powell & Powell, with David Milsom as existing tenant.

David acquired the title to the property in 1902. On 22nd Sept. 1909 David applied for planning consent for alterations necessary for the establishment of his aerated water manufactory. (See Alan Payne's research Box People & Places). On 24th Nov. 1909 Matilda Allen, wife of George William Joel Allen of the Keystone Company, Fishponds, Bristol (see below), acquired the land called Quarr Close from which the waters arose, from the sale of estate lands of Sir John Dickson Poynder. See Adrian Dingle's research here: Quarr Close and according to Adrian this also included the rights to the name MAP'S, i.e. Milsom's Aerated Products. Although David Milsom later obtained the land from Matilda Allen on 21st April 1915, the name MAP's may have been retained by the Keystone Company, hence bottles were from that date carried the name Milsom/Box. Allen & Milsom presumably were in partnership to some extent over this period.

David Milsom Jnr. married Georgie Alberta Elizabeth Griffin who was born in Corsham (1873), the marriage took place in Malmesbury in 1903. Georgie was the daughter of George Griffin who was the licensee of the "Duke" in Priory Street, Corsham until the license was transferred to John Batley, on the same day (Thursday 19th Nov. 1877) George acquired the license of the Railway Hotel, Corsham from Alfred Ames. It was members of the Griffin family who were killed in the explosion that destroyed the pub in 1957. Curiously another pub called the Rising Sun in Bath was also destroyed in a gas explosion in the 1880’s. William Graham Francis Cyril Griffin had married Joyce Mary Victoria Smith in 1951, registered in Chippenham.

THREE KILLED IN GAS EXPLOSION

Extract from the report in the "Wiltshire Times" recording
the events of Wednesday 4th December 1957. The RISING
SUN INN was formerly the site of David Milsom's lemonade
factory and brewhouse.

"BOX PUBLIC HOUSE DEMOLISHED - Early morning disaster
in frost and fog."
Three members of a Box family were killed and the fourth
seriously injured when a gas explosion completely wrecked
their home, The Rising Sun Inn, Box Hill, in the early hours
of Wednesday morning.
The effect of the explosion was similar to a direct hit from a
bomb. Only one corner remained standing. The debris from
the house was strewn right across the road onto the bank on
the far side, completely blocking it. For several hours flames
from escaping gas leaped up on either side of the road, and
nearly five hours after the original explosion, there was
another one in a bungalow on the opposite side of the road,
occupied by Mr. & Mrs. Carpenter. This did considerable
damage, particularly to the rear of the building. Small
explosions continued for hours.
The dead are Mr. William Griffin, landlord of the rising sun,
his wife, Mrs. Joyce Griffin, both aged about 33, and their
son Andrew, who only the day before had celebrated his
fourth birthday. Their two year old daughter is seriously
injured, and on Wednesday afternoon she was transferred to
Frenchay Hospital, Bristol."

A report of the inquest can be found here: with an introduction by Mike Lyons.

There is also a great link with plenty of info here: Box People & Places

And more about the factory here: Box People & Places: MAPS

David Milsom the younger died 27 Nov 1925 (also of the Rising Sun) leaving £1230. Georgie Milsom, wife of late David lived at 151 Midford Road, Bath d. Fri. 9th Oct. 1942. Georgie lived at 7 First Ave. Bath 1933.
Their children were David, Una & Josephine. (Una married Reginald O. Dann, Aug 1933) After the death of David Milsom, Hubert Charles Buckland ran the Rising Sun, later in 1933 moving to the Royal Oak, the Causeway, Chippenham before he died on 30th June 1947.

Mr. Harry Smith was resident licensee at the Rising Sun in 1937. He grew a large radish this year and obtained a license to sell wine at what was formerly just a beer house.

THE KEYSTONE Steam Bottling Company - BIRMINGHAM & BRISTOL - A connection?

Keystone delivery wagon, bottom of Park Street, Bristol - early 20th c. postcard.

The Keystone Steam Bottling Company Ltd. has premises at 98 Lennox Street, Aston Manor, Birmingham from at least 1894 until 1920.

The registered design of the bottles used by the Box Hill Brewery was registered to George William Joel Allen, of the Keystone Steam Bottling Co., Birmingham, registered number 247270, between 11th May 1894 and 10th Jan. 1895. This number appears on both Keystone's Birmingham, MAPS & Keystone, Bristol, and MAPS of Box bottles. The number is missing from bottles bearing the name Milsom. The Keystone logo on the Birmingham bottles itself bears the number 207150, registered between 15th June 1892 and 5th May 1893. The registered number appearing on the MAPS "royal" syphons seems to date much later, however, 565191, dates from around 1910, Royal may refer to the accession to the throne of George V, or one of the Royal visits to Bristol, perhaps even in memory of King Edward VII who died that year. The date is very close to David Milsom's expansion of the factory at the Rising Sun.

George William Joel Allen was born Birmingham 16 Apr 1863 to John Allen, a Scale Beam Filer and Emma Stringer. This image is from his 1916 U. S. Passport application:

By 1881, at age 19, George was already a Ginger Beer Maker, living with his parents at 1 Court 5, Hanley Street, Birmingham St. Mary. In July 1883 he married Matilda Mallett of Harborne, Staffs (just SW of Birmingham). Then, in May 1884 according to his US Emergency Passport application (Jan 15th 1916) and his naturalisation certificate, he emigrated to Philadelphia USA on board the British Princess and he resided at North 5th Street 7 ½ years until 1891 (The true date of his emigration was in fact 31st May 1886 according to the ship’s passenger manifest which included George, Matilda and their son James. Here he worked in the Cinema business as a film salesman and dealer, and his work took him back to England occasionally as well as to Australia. George and Matilda had at least 11 children altogether: James Henry Allen, b. 1886 (bapt. 16th May, Smethwick); William Joel Allen, b. 1888 in Philadelphia, U.S.A.; Maud Matilda Allen, b. 1890 in Philadelphia, U.S.A. (bapt. 17th Aug., Smethwick); George Mallett Allen, b.1893 in Aston, Birmingham (bapt. 13th Dec.); Lily Keystone Allen, b.1895 in Aston, Birmingham, (bapt. 15th May); Clara Mabel Allen b.1898 in Aston, Birmingham, (bapt. 4th Sept.); Alice Monica Allen, b. 1900, Birmingham, (bapt. 4th July); Albert Edward Allen, b. 1902 in Handsworth, Birmingham but registered in Bristol, and Philip Douglas Allen, b.1907 in Fishponds, Bristol. 3 of the 11 died before 1911.

The company in Birmingham was run by a different partnership, it was incorporated in 1902 although it had been in existence since before 1894.

From the London Gazette - 22 August 1902: "NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us the undersigned, William John Oakes and Frank Russell Tubbs, carrying on business as Mineral Water Manufacturers and General Bottlers, at Lennox-street, Aston juxta Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, under the style or firm of "THE KEYSTONE STEAM BOTTLING COMPANY," was dissolved as and from the 18th day of August, 1902, by mutual consent. All debts due to and liabilities of the firm will be received and paid by the said William John Oakes, who will in future carry on the business under the same style as heretofore.—Dated the 18th day of August, 1902. WM. JNO. OAKES. FRANK R. TUBBS."

Frank Russell Tubbs was born in Paignton, Devon on 1 July 1880, son of chemical merchant George Tubbs and wife Mary Harriet Wilkins. Frank was educated at the Boys High School, Marine Drive, Rhyl, Flintshire. He married Pearl Annie Godrich on 15 January 1908 at Wickham, Berks. In the 1901 census he was a mineral water manufacturer, employed at Keystone, age 20. By 1911 he was a drysalter but went on to become M. D. of a chemical company.

William John Oakes was born in Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham on 12 August 1861, baptised at Birmingham St. Luke's on 25 August 1862 son of plater William Oakes and wife Emma Susan Heaton. He married Ada Bertha Parkes in Aston in 1905. In the 1901 census he is an Electro-Metallurgist, visiting Medical Practitioner Richard H. Norris at 59 Albert Road, Aston Manor, with wife-to-be Ada. After their marriage the couple lived at Manor House, Rocky Lane, Hamstead via Hansworth, Birmingham. William was still at Keystone in 1911 but it is clear that the partnership with Tubbs was short lived.

Ada Bertha Oakes died 27 January 1920 at the Manor House leaving her estate to husband William John Oakes, managing director of a Limited Company (Keystone?) and Francis Richardson Parkes, manufacturer. William seems to disappear after this date.

Keystones 10oz "Postcard" codd.
This is a standard codd embossed "KEYSTONE STEAM BOTTLING Co. / BIRMINGHAM" with an facsimile of an advertising trade post card as a trade mark. The base also has embossed around it "REGD. APPLIED FOR" so this bottle dates to before the registration of the trade mark therefore may be one of the earliest from this company.

Keystones Birmingham Ginger Beer Bottle
A slightly taller than average ginger beer bottle: printed within a shield: KEYSTONE / (Keystone image flanked by "Trade Mark") / STONE BEER / BIRMINGHAM. Cork Stopper. Potter: PRICE / 12 / BRISTOL, honey glaze.

Keystones Birmingham Ginger Beer Bottle
Ginger beer bottle: printed within a postcard motif and scroll: KEYSTONE / STEAM / BOTTLING / COMPANY (card image flanked by "Trade Mark") and underneath: BEST / STONE BEER. Cork Stopper. Potter: unmarked and very crude white glaze. Height:18.5cm.

Keystone's Bristol Ginger Beer Bottle
This is almost identical in design to the Box version: Printed within a circle: KEYSTONE'S / ORIGINAL / STONE BEER / (Keystone image flanked by "Trade Mark") / BREWED / PURE / BRISTOL. Internal Screw Stopper. Potter: No mark but likely Price of Bristol. Two tone glaze. Height: 22cm.

Keystone's Bristol Ginger Beer Bottle
Printed within a circle: KEYSTONE'S / ORIGINAL / STONE BEER / (Keystone image flanked by "Trade Mark") / BREWED / PURE / BRISTOL. This crown cap version, some have "BEER" ground out as the result of a product description court action. Potter: Price / 21 / Bristol. Two tone glaze. Height 21.8cm.

Keystone's Bristol Ginger Beer Bottle
Printed within a circle: KEYSTONE'S / GINGER BEER / (Keystone image flanked by "Trade Mark") / BRISTOL. Crown cap Potter: No mark but likely of Bristol manufacture. Two tone glaze. Height: 21.7cm.

Keystones Bristol Ginger Beer Bottle
Printed within a circle: KEYSTONE'S / (Keystone image flanked by "Trade Mark") / GINGER BEER / BRISTOL. Potter: No mark but likely of Bristol manufacture. Two tone glaze. Height: 21.7cm.

Keystone's Bristol Ginger Beer Bottle
Printed within a circle: KEYSTONE'S / GINGER / BEER / (Keystone image flanked by "Trade Mark") / BRISTOL. Potter: No mark but likely of Bristol manufacture. All white glaze. Height: 21.8cm.

Keystones Bristol Ginger Beer Bottle
Printed in Olde English typeface: KEYSTONE / GINGER / BEER / KEYSTONE COMPANY / BRISTOL. Crown cap. Potter: No mark but likely Price of Bristol. Two tone glaze.

Keystone of Birmingham and MAPS of Bristol
A "MAPS / REGD / BRISTOL" codd flanked by 2 slightly smaller variations of Keystone / Birmingham mug-based codds. The Birmingham examples also come in smaller 6oz size and a variation of both in amber glass. The embossing on the MAPS codd shows signs of mould alteration from previous Keystone mould.

6 & 10oz Keystone's Bristol Codds & Birmingham "Long Tom"
All 10 sided "mug-based" codds. 6 & 10 oz embossed "THE / KEYSTONE / Co. / REGD. / BRISTOL" and a "KEYSTONE / LONG TOM / REGISTERED" of Birmingham. There also exists Bristol examples of the Long Tom and amber glass versions of at least the 10oz Bristol Keystone codd.

George was a partner in a film business in the UK and he officially returned here permanently to take charge of that business, sailing aboard “The Baltic” on Feb. 9th 1916. The census records his presence in Bristol in both 1901 and 1911 however so he must have been a frequent traveller. I think his son James was running the mineral water works in his absence.
In September 1890 Matilda, sons James and Joel and an infant (who would have been their daughter Maud Matilda who was born around this year), embarked on a ship from Liverpool to New York. (The 1901 census seems to have mixed up the daughter’s ages).
Joel was born in Philadelphia, U.S.A. according to the census of 1911 around the year 1888, so it appears the family spent a couple of years at least in the States or at least travelling back and forth.
In January 1892 George filed a patent for a bottle closure with Joseph Cresswell, a mineral water manufacturer of Halford Street, Harborne, Smethwick, his wife’s home town. Joseph started out as a blacksmith, his mineral water company used wonderful blue reliance patent codd’s bottles and blue lipped versions, also a cobalt blue glass ginger beer bottle, and its interesting that both Cresswell’s company and also Allen’s Keystone company used giant codd’s, Allen’s was called “Long Tom” and Cresswell’s “The Peace Beverage”, both had either“Keystone” 10 sided or dimples around the base. These giant bottles appeared towards the end of the Boer War in 1902, names like "Peace Beverage", "Long Tom" (also a gun) and "Big Guns" on the bottles reflecting this.

From the Birmingham Daily Gazette - Saturday 14 January 1905 page 6: "POP" SUGAR : A CORRECTION. In a recent interview upon the sugar tax as it affects the mineral water manufacturers, a gentleman who gave his views to the "Gazette and Express" referred to "Long Toms," which he said were retailed at 8d. per dozen, and contained 20 ounces Mr. R. H. Norris, the secretary of the Keystone Steam Bottling Co., Limited, Losells, writes to say that the term "Long Tom" is the registered name of one of the company's products, that the bottle contains fifteen ounces, and that the price is 9d. per dozen. We are glad to make the correction to prevent confusion. The term was probably applied generically by our informant to large sizes of bottles"

Cresswell's of Smethwick
A couple of examples of Cresswell's bottles: A 6oz blob-top mineral; a 10oz Rylands codd with re-enforced lip; and a giant "dimple mug" based "Peace Beverage". All have the chemist's display vase trade mark of Joseph Cresswell.

It seems from the birth records of the children that the Allens arrived in Fishponds, Bristol around 1902. At all the baptisms, George is listed as a Mineral Water Manufacturer.

In 1910 at the Exhibition Hall, High Street, near Bristol Bridge there appeared the World Renowned Fasting Man, Victor Beaute. Victor had embarked upon a 38 day fast, sustained only by the mineral waters supplied by guess who! Exhibition open day and night (there is a doctor in the house). Other novelties included the smallest people in the world, a shooting range and a lady palmist, all for twopence! Victor the Fasting Man, in 1911, was a resident of the Sheffield Jungle, Frank Bostock's collection of performing wild beasts that sprang up in the cleared slums of that city.

George William Joel Allen died on Sept. 18, 1917. His son William Joel took over running the Bristol factory. At some point, the company merged with the Piner-Lin cinema disinfectant manufacturing company. There was always the connection with the cinema business. William Joel had married Winifred O'Keefe in Bristol in 1915. They had a son, Christopher Edward, born 18th June 1917 who died in 2001. Matilda Allen was very much involved in the business behind the scenes, acquiring land in Box where the Milsoms had their factory, and controlling the water supply.

Internal screw beer/mineral bottle
Dark aqua glass: embossed: "KEYSTONE / LIMITED / BIRMINGHAM", 10 sided mug-base. Very similar to the Box versions but about 3/4 the size.

Very late crown cap juice bottle
Clear glass: embossed: "MAPS / REGD. / BRISTOL", 10 sided mug-base

Pint beer/lemonade bottle
Embossed lengthwise: "THE / KEYSTONE C^o / REG^D / BRISTOL", Very similar to Box examples. 10 sided mug-base, Dark green glass. REG^D N^o 247270 on base. R. B. B. (Redfearn Bros., Barnsley.) Height: 25cm.

From the London Gazette - 9 December 1921 page 10051 reports the winding up of the Birmingham company which was initiated on 20 October 1920: "Companies (Consolidation) Act, 1908. The KEYSTONE STEAM BOTTLING CO. Ltd. (In Voluntary Liquidation.) NOTICE is hereby given, that a General Meeting of the Members of the above named Company will be held on Tuesday, the 10th day of January, 1922, at 12.30 p.m., at the office of the Liquidator, Mr. George H. Lucas, Chartered Accountant, 18, Bennett's hill, Birmingham, in order that the Liquidator may lay before the said Meeting an account, showing the manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and the property of the said Company has been disposed of, and hear any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator; and also to pass an Extraordinary Resolution for determining the manner in which the books, accounts and documents of the said Company, and the Liquidation thereto, should be disposed of.—Dated this 7th day of December, 1921. G. H. LUCAS, Liquidator." Herbert A. Dugard was Chairman at the time of the winding-up.

In 1927 the Keystone company in Bristol were in court for selling sub-standard malt vinegar, obviously vinegar was another of their products.

From the London Gazette - 4 September 1925, page 5879: "NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us, the under-signed, William Joel Allen and George Allen, carrying on business as Mineral Water Manufacturers at No. 13, Victoria Park, Fishponds, Bristol, under the style of the KEYSTONE COMPANY, was this day dissolved by mutual consent. All debts due to and owing by the firm will be received and paid by the undersigned William Joel Allen, who will continue to carry on the business under the same style—Dated this second day of September, 1925. WILLIAM JOEL ALLEN. GEORGE ALLEN."

The Keystone Company traded at 15 Victoria Park, Fishponds, Bristol until 1960.

Matilda Allen, after a long illness patiently borne, passed peacefully away at 15 Victoria Park on 26th July 1927 aged 66. Greatly mourned by all her family, she was interred in the family grave at Downend Cemetary on Saturday 30th.

In September 1942 the business of Bristol Spa Mineral Water Co. was transferred to the Keystone factory at Fishponds although it was claimed that the two businesses were still carried on separately.

It is interesting that the crates used by Keystone and Maps of Bristol were manufactured by Henry Bond Milsom & Son, of Lewins Mead, Bristol, a timber merchant, sawmill, and case manufacturer. Henry was son of William Milsom, a carpenter, and Virtue Bond, of Chippenham. William was born in Lacock, Wilts. and Henry at St. Mary's Street, Chippenham where William had his business. Although probably related to the Milsoms of Box, I have yet to find a direct link.

At William Joel’s death in September 1942, he was chairman of the Eastville Hippodrome Co, proprietor of the Keystone Mineral Water Co, and vice president of the Mineral Water Trades Protection Society. He had been an ARP warden since 1938. He is buried at Mangotsfield Cemetary.

At some point in Box, the MAPS trademark was no longer used and was obliterated from the bottle moulds to be replaced by MILSOM, possibly when Matilda Allen relinquished the water supply in 1915. However in Bristol "MAPS" appeared to have replaced "KEYSTONE" and appears on much later clear glass bottles. The chronology for this is awkward because no advertising seems to mention MAPS apart from the enamel sign pictured above. MAPS Concentrates at this point were part of the Keystone business, manufacturing among other things Sunmap Orange Squash and MAPS Blackcurrant Cordial.

Very late MAPS/Keystone labelled cork and screw cap bottles.
Clear glass: embossed around base: "KEYSTONE COMPANY FISHPONDS BRISTOL" MAPS Blackcurrant has leaves embossed around neck and is cork top, later versions are plain and screw cap. Sunmap Orange squash is screw cap.

Lily Keystone Allen married Archibald Napier-Ewing in Bristol in 1918, she lived at 154 Thingwall Park, Fishponds and died in 1950.

Recollections I collected from senior Box residents many years ago suggests that they made two kinds of lemonade, red and white, with not a lot of difference in flavour between them although quite pleasant. A man named Hemmings delivered the crates of bottles by horse & cart to many local pubs, farms & households. Trade ceased in the early 1930's when David Milsom's son had joined the Navy. (This is only anecdotal from very hazy memories).

Box Hill Brewery

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