Lewis

 

Another of the comparatively well known Plymouth companies was Henry Lewis and unsurprisingly they are well represented in terms of bottles found. The company was operating from before 1880 until around 1906 and during its life operated from addresses in Cliff Rd, Athenaeum Lane and Union Street. The company claims to have been established in 1850 but is not recorded in the 1852 directory so it may be possible that they assumed the operations of another earlier company. The 1878 directory lists an operation in Athenaeum Lane run by Mrs Elizabeth Lewis and this presumably is a fore runner of H.Lewis.

 

Whichever address is used on the bottle, the motto “soda water a speciality” is virtually always used.

 

As well as a variety of bottle types, wooden Codd bottle openers bearing the marking “H. Lewis Plymouth” are also known. Amongst the most impressive of the company’s bottles are the “chocolate glaze” impressed ginger beers.

 

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Ginger beers from H.Lewis

 

 

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6oz Codds (Athenaeum lane & Union St) with Codd opener marked H.Lewis Plymouth

 

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6oz Lewis / Athenaeum Lane codd

 

 

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A selection of glass bottles used by H.Lewis

 

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Wooden codd opener incised “H.Lewis / Plymouth”

 

 

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1890 advert for H.Lewis, Athenaeum Lane address

 

 

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1895 advert for H.Lewis, 166 Union St address

 

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