During a recent archaeological trenching project that we have been carrying out near Wigan on behalf of Heritage Archaeology, we retrieved a number of glass and ceramic vessels, including this stoneware flagon, intact aside from its stopper.
The flagon bears the words,
‘1940
SCOTT’S (BOLTON) LTD
BOTANICAL BREWERS
DAUBHILL BOLTON
ANYONE FOUND ILLEGALLY USING OR
DETAINING THIS BOTTLE WILL BE PROSECUTED’
Scott’s of Bolton is listed in the National Archives as being a ‘Herbal Brewers, Wine Bottlers and Retailers’ on Morris Green Lane in Daubhill, Bolton (discovery.nationalarchives.go.uk). Daubhill, known as ‘Dobble’ to the locals, derives its name from the clay that underlies most of the area (boltonrevisited.org.uk).
The bottles were usually worth a lot more than their contents and people were expected to hand them back to the supplier once they were empty. Clearly this did not often happen, however, as the strict instructions not to ‘use or detain’ the bottle, imply. Anecdotal tales tell of the bottles being filled with hot water to be used as hot-water bottles as, even with a deposit paid on the bottle, they were cheaper than the real thing.