Gibbens

Three companies bearing the Gibbens name have been identified as operating in Plymouth, the best known being E. Gibbens.

The earliest of the companies appears to be John Gibbens who is listed in 1852 as a ginger beer manufacturer operating from the Old Golden Lion, 27 Kinterbury St, Plymouth. The company was likely to have been established in 1820 and thus the date on E.Gibbens bottles is actually likely to refer to J.Gibbens. Bottles bearing the J.Gibbens name do not appear to have been recovered as yet.

E.Gibbens operated from 12 Kinterbury St until 1895. From 1895 to 1937 the company operated from new premises in How St.

Virtually all their bottles share one distinguishing feature, the superb pictorial trade mark of Sir Francis Drake’s statue making them easily recognizable and very popular with collectors. Some of the rarer finds from this company include Codd bottles with green marbles or those lacking the Drake pictorial.

E. Gibbens ginger beer variations

Codd bottles & flat based Hamilton from E.Gibbens

6oz Hamilton used by E.Gibbens

10oz Codds from E.Gibbens in ice blue (left) & standard aqua glass (right)

Rare 6oz E. Gibbens Codd with green marble

Unusual E.Gibbens bottle without Drake pictorial

Typical embossed trade mark of E.Gibbens

S. Gibbens is little known and their bottles are rare finds. These finds are Codd bottles bearing a distinctive SG trade mark embossed on the rear.

Front of S.Gibbens codd bottle

Rear of S.Gibbens Codd with SG trade mark

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