Jacob Schweppe set up a branch of
his business in Bristol in 1814, the Bristol Mirror - Saturday 11 June
1814, p.3, announces J. SCHWEPPE and Co.'s GENUINE SODA WATER.— MESSRS. J.
SCHWEPPE and Co. respectfully announce to the Nobility, the Gentry, the
Faculty, and the Public, that they have been induced, from the great and
increasing demand for their GENUINE SODA WATER in Bristol and its
vicinity, to establish a MANUFACTORY at the UPPER or SION SPRING, CLIFTON.
The excellency and purity of these Waters are so well known, and are held
in such high estimation by the Faculty, as to render it unnecessary to
comment upon their virtues; and from this justly celebrated Spring the
Soda Water will be prepared in future. - Sold, Wholesale and Retail, by
their Agents,
J. HACKETT, Wine-Street, Bristol; (Hosier at No. 6, Wine Street;
Hackett & Smith by 1819-1824, then John Smith only),
JOHN AMICK, No. 4, Sion-Row, Clifton (York House), and by
S. WEBB, Cheap-Street, Bath. (Samuel Webb, Chemist & Apothecary).
William Roughsedge took over the Bristol sole agency for Schweppe some time between 1824-1831. More info about the history of Schweppes can be found at Hans-Jürgen Krackher's website here. Roughsedge & Summers departed company with Schweppe & Co. in 1834. Roughsedge was still listed as an agent for Schweppe at 20 Bridge Street in the 1842 directory. Schweppe & Co. continued in Bristol independently after the split at 65 Castle Street.
William Roughsedge was born around 1791 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. He married Elizabeth Hall at St. James, Bristol, on 14 Dec. 1816. Unfortunately Elizabeth died in 1818 aged 26 and was buried on 20 Feb. at St. Andrews, Clifton. William married again by license on 28 May 1820 at St. Marylebone, London, to Mary Porter of St. Margaret's Westminster. Mary was actually born in Liverpool. In 1832 William was living at 20 Bridge Street, St. Mary-le-Port, Bristol. William and Mary had children (approximate dates): Alfred (1822), Frederick (1823), William (1824), Henry (1828, bapt. 18 Jan. 1829), Francis Septimus (bapt. 4 Jul.1830), and Mary (1834). Two boys, Charles and Josiah did not survive infancy.
In the Bristol Mercury - Monday 3 March 1828 p.3, there appears an advertisement for: "W. JONES's PATENT SELF-ACTING BLOW-PIPE, For boiling Water or any other Liquid in the shortest possible period of time, and at the least expense. - W. ROUGHSEDGE, 20, BRIDGE-STREET, respectfully acquaints the Nobility, Gentry, &c., that he is appointed sole Agent, in this City, for the Sale of JONES's SELF-ACTING BLOW-PIPES. The principal advantages of this very elegant and useful little Machine are, that of being (by its means) enabled to obtain boiling water, or any other liquid, from the half of a pint to any quantity in the space of three or four minutes, for the very trifling expense of from a halfpenny to a penny each time, without any smell, smoke, dirt, or danger; and , as the Machine may be made so portable as to be contained in a division of a small Dressing-Case, without inconvenience, and can be lit in an instant, and from its extreme simplicity is not at all liable to get out of order, a more useful and elegant appurtenance to a Chamber, Dressing-Room, Breakfast-Table, or Travelling-Carriage, cannot be had. An Assortment is constantly kept for inspection."
From the Bristol Mercury - Tuesday 29 November 1831 p.3: "W. ROUGHSEDGE, Agent to Messrs. SCHWEPPE & Co's Soda Water Manufactory, begs to tender his most grateful acknowledgements to his Neighbours and the Public, for the very kind assistance they rendered to himself and his Family during the unfortunate Fire at Mr. CRESSY's, on Friday morning; and he should not do justice to his feelings if he did not mention, in the highest terms of commendation, the prompt attendance and efficient arrangements of the Constabulary force, as well as of the Military who assisted them. - Bridge-street, Nov. 25, 1831."
C. W. Cressy & Co. were a tea, coffee and spice vendor in Bridge Street adjacent to Roughsedge's premises, their entire stock was destroyed in the fire, which fortunately, by the efforts of those present, was confined to Cressy's premises.
William Summers was born in Marylebone, London around 1800, his father was carpenter/livery stable keeper, Joseph Summers. He was a widower when he married Maria Carter daughter of Thomas Carter, Farrier, of Warminster, Wilts., at St. George, Bristol on 9 April 1839. It also appears that he was widowed and surprisingly married again to Maria Carter, daughter of Thomas Carter, brewer, this time at St. Andrew's, Clifton, on 23 July 1840, they had four children: Julia Maria (17 Jan. 1841, bapt. 14 Feb.); Augustus William, (22 Aug.1842, bapt. 25 Sep.); John, (14 Aug.1845, bapt. 14 Sep.); Harriet Eliza (13 Jan., 1848, bapt. 3 Apr.), all the children were baptised at St. Paul's, Portland Square, Bristol. Unfortunately Julia Maria did not survive and died in 1841. In the 1841 census the couple had a servant...also called Maria Carter.
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Mr. Summers had been employed as an engineer in the mineral water trade working for Joseph Schweppe since around 1815. Roughsedge and Summers began announcing their business in February 1835 at 37 Bridge Street.
From Woolmer's Exeter and Plymouth Gazette - Saturday, 18 May, 1844: "Roughsedge and Summers's Soda Water and Lemonade.— R. & S. have hitherto relied on the discernment of the public to discover and appreciate the superior quality of the Aerated Water produced by their manufactory, and they have scorned to have recourse to any tricks. In the present day some persons consider it quackery, in order to extend the sale of their own productions, by detracting from the merits of rival establishments. R. and S. have such strong grounds of reliance on the superiority of their own Soda Water and Lemonade, founded on the recommendation of the most eminent of the faculty, on the results of the most searching chemical analyses, and the extensive and still increasing demand for them by the public both at home and abroad, that they have hitherto treated the insinuations of quackery alluded to with the contempt they deserve. But if these indirect insinuations are still to be obtruded on the public, R. and S. feel themselves justified in offering those explanations that may enable the public to judge for themselves. If R. and S. have placed the name of Schweppe upon their bottles, it was never to mislead the public as to the connexion with that firm, but for the purpose of announcing a legitimate fact, and always subordinate to their own. Without imputing undue credit to the name of Schweppe, they have simply stated that they came from the house of Schweppe and Co.,—an undoubted fact, or doubtless it would have been denied. For five-and-twenty years during the very period that the waters sold by Schweppe gave to that name all the celebrity it ever obtained, Mr. Summers was the engineer and manufacturer of the waters sold by that house in London, Derby, and Bristol. It is many years since any person, having the slightest connexion with the name or family of the late Mr. Schweppe, has been connected with any house in this trade. In the year 1834, the proprietor of the business carried on under the name of Schweppe & Co. sold his interest to persons with whom R. and S. declined to remain; they preferred employing their industry and practical knowledge in establishing a business for their own mutual profit. Whether the waters since manufactured by the present firm of Schweppe and Co. retain the quality which acquired for that house all its celebrity, R. and S. decline to give an opinion; but, in justice to themselves, they do, with the most perfect confidence and good faith, say that—highly as some manufacturers seem to estimate the bottles which bear their name (expensive an item as bottles are), and difficult as it is to prevent retail tradesmen from returning wrong ones—there is no bottle bearing any name other than their own, however celebrated, to which Roughsedge and Summers would wish to add the reputation to be derived from filling them with waters of their own manufacture. Roughsedge and Summers only desire such patronage as may be deserved by the Aerated waters produced at their own manufactory, and sold under the labels of their own name. R. and S. have taken advantage of their proximity to Clifton and the Hotwells, freely to adopt the use of those celebrated springs in the manufacture of their Aerated Waters, and to this circumstance they attribute the extensive patronage the faculty have given to their goods in all the principal towns in England and Wales."
William Roughsedge formerly of Bridge street, but late of 13 Melrose Place, died at his home on 5 March 1866. William Summers traded as W. Summers & Co. until his death at Glanmire Villa, Oakland Road, Redland on 23 April 1876. His estate was valued at £25,000, a considerable sum for the time. The business continued, however, and from 1877 to 1910 they claimed to be the original West of England Mineral Water Manufactory and inventors of "Lemonade"! They were a limited company from around 1899. The company continued until its voluntary liquidation and sale of property between 1920 and 1921.
When William Summers' widow Maria died, on 31 December 1900, at "Glanmire", Oakland Road, Redland, Bristol, her estate went to Augustus William Summers, Mineral Water Manufacturer, so it appears the son remained with the business. He died on 27 July 1925 at Tellisford house, Clifton Down.
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| 10oz Hamilton (torpedo) bottle. |   |
| Embossed
lengthwise: ROUGHSEDGE & SUMMERS / BRISTOL / FROM J. SCHWEPPE
& CO / GENUINE SUPERIOR / AERATED WATERS. Early chisel lip variety, also in standard blob top versions. Glassworks: not marked. |
| 10oz Hamilton (torpedo) bottle. |  |
| Embossed
lengthwise: SUMMERS /LATE / ROUGHSEDGE & SUMMERS / BRISTOL /
GENUINE SUPERIOR / AERATED WATERS. Glassworks: ? Image courtesy Aled Rees. |
| 10oz Hamilton (torpedo) bottle. |
  |
| Embossed
lengthwise: W. SUMMERS & Co. / BRISTOL / SUPERIOR AERATED /
MINERAL WATERS. Glassworks: not marked. |
| 6oz Hamilton (torpedo) bottle. |
  |
| Embossed
lengthwise: WM. SUMMERS & Co. / BRISTOL. Glassworks: not marked. |
| 6oz Hamilton (torpedo) bottle. |
  |
| Etched
lengthwise: W. SUMMERS & Co. / BRISTOL. Embossed either side of base: S / B. Glassworks: not marked. |
| Round bottomed cylinder bottle. |
 |
| Embossed
below neck: SUMMERS / BRISTOL. Chisel lip and blob top versions exist. Glassworks: not marked. |
| 6 & 10oz Flat-bottomed Hamilton
bottle/skittle. |
 |
| Embossed
lengthwise: SUMMERS / BRISTOL. Glassworks: C. S. & Co. Ld. (Cannington Shaw) 2013 on base of large size, 8014 on base of small size. |
| Large size Dumpy Seltzer bottle. |
 |
| Etched
with serifs: WM. SUMMERS / & Co. / BRISTOL. Green Glass. Glassworks: P & R, B. (Powell & Ricketts, Bristol). |
| Large and small size Dumpy Seltzer bottle. |
 |
| Etched
without serifs: WM. SUMMERS / & Co. / BRISTOL. Green Glass. Glassworks: P & R, B. (Powell & Ricketts, Bristol). |
| Small size Dumpy Seltzer bottle. |
 |
| Etched
without serifs: WM. SUMMERS / & Co. / BRISTOL. Amber Glass. Glassworks: P & R, B. (Powell & Ricketts, Bristol). |
| Large size Dumpy
Seltzer bottle. |
  |
| Embossed
around shoulder: SUMMERS / BRISTOL. Later machine made. Olive Green Glass. Glassworks: P & R, B. (Powell & Ricketts, Bristol). |
| Blob top mixer bottle. |
 |
| Embossed
lengthwise: SUMMERS / BRISTOL. Olive Green Glass. Glassworks: P (Likely Powell, Bristol). |
| Stone Ginger Beer bottle. |
 |
| Printed:
SUMMERS / TRADE (bird on a winged globe) MARK. / BRISTOL. (In
circle-no lines). White Glaze. Corked stopper. Potter: Powell, Bristol. |
| Stone Ginger Beer bottle. |
 |
| Printed:
SUMMERS / TRADE (bird on a winged globe) MARK. / BRISTOL. (In
circle with parallel lines). Honey Glaze. Corked stopper. Potter: Price, Bristol. |