PRIMITIVE STONEWARE BOTTLES OF CANADA

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada

Scott Wallace & Phil Culhane

For additional copies, please contact the authors: Phil Culhane
102 Abbeyhill Drive
Scott Wallace Kanata, Ontario
213 Moffatt St. K2L 1H2
Carleton Place, Ontario Canada
K7C 3K9 [email protected]
Canada (613) 831-7749
[email protected]
(613) 253-6252

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Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada © 2002 Scott Wallace & Phil Culhane. Privately printed and published in Ottawa,
Canada. All material and images, including original softcopy material, is copyright the authors. All rights reserved.

These books took a lot of time, effort and energy. If you would like to support the publishing of books on antique
Canadian bottles, please buy them. If you bought a CD-ROM copy of our book, feel free to print a copy for your own
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International Standard Book Number: ISBN 0-9730638-1-5.

Primitive
Stoneware
Bottles
of Canada

- Scott Wallace & Phil Culhane

Published March 31st, 2002

Dedications Scott
Phil
To Jen, for always understanding.
To John Meyer, for being the first in line.
To the Bytown Bottle Seekers, for getting me started.
To everyone who contributed, for offering and making it possible.
And to Phil, for sharing the load and inspiring the work.

~~~~~

To Dave Perch, who finally inspired me to take the leap.
To my father, who has maintained the collecting faith through all these years.
To Rhonda and Catherine, who've sacrificed the time it's taken to glue all these pieces together.
To Bill Bagg, who through his magic made miracle bottles appear.
To Scott, for getting me started and keeping me going.
To all the collectors who have entrusted us with images of their collections.
To all of you, thank you. This book is as much yours as it is ours.

~~~~~

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com ii

Thanks to….

Without the help of these people, there would be far fewer images and far less information in these pages. We thank them all
for their time and their insights.

Derek Askey James Heffernan
Peter Austin Greg James
Alan Blakeman Scott Jordan
Don & Joyce Blyth Dianne and Lawrence Keddy
Carl Boswick John Knight
Tim Braithwaite Vince Kwok
Thor Brodersen Harry Little
Jim Butler Larry Machum and Judith Brannen
Mark Careswell Jim Maitland
George Chopping Malcolm McLeod
Rick Clayton Brian Millsip
Robert A. Clayton and T. Lynda Colucci-- Dave Perch
Glen Phillips
The Clayton Colucci Collection Jack Rip
Kevin Culhane Karl Robinson
Jose Demers Kim and Jeff Shand
Stephen Dickinson James Short
David Dobing Fred Spoelstra
Richard Dobing Rob Sturrock
Tom Doyle Vic Toews
Colin Eyban Kim Troop
John Finlay Steve Troop
Glen Foster John Wicks
Garnet Gamester Mark Wilson
John Goodyer Blake Woods
David Graci Barry Wright
Herman & Florence Helm Don Yates

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com iii

Table of Contents

DEDICATIONS ................................................................................................... II

THANKS TO…...................................................................................................III

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................... IV

FORWARD ........................................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 2

CONDITION ......................................................................................................... 3

PRICES - VALUES - RARITY ........................................................................... 4

CANADIAN OR AMERICAN - DO SMOOTH BASES AND
CONCENTRIC CIRCLES TELL A TALE? ..................................................... 5

AGE........................................................................................................................ 6

CLEANING POTTERY BOTTLES ................................................................... 8

NEWFOUNDLAND ............................................................................................. 9

ST JOHN'S ............................................................................................................. 9

NOVA SCOTIA .................................................................................................. 11

HALIFAX............................................................................................................. 11
SYDNEY.............................................................................................................. 17

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND ............................................................................ 19

CHARLOTTETOWN .............................................................................................. 19

NEW BRUNSWICK........................................................................................... 23

INDIAN TOWN..................................................................................................... 23
FREDERICTON ..................................................................................................... 24

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada iv

SAINT JOHN ........................................................................................................ 32
ST. STEPHEN....................................................................................................... 58
UNKNOWN.......................................................................................................... 59

QUEBEC.............................................................................................................. 61

QUEBEC CITY ..................................................................................................... 61

ONTARIO ........................................................................................................... 63

ARNPRIOR........................................................................................................... 63
AURORA ............................................................................................................. 64
BELLEVILLE........................................................................................................ 65
BLOOMFIELD ...................................................................................................... 69
BOTHWELL ......................................................................................................... 70
BRADFORD ......................................................................................................... 71
BRAESIDE ........................................................................................................... 72
BRAMPTON ......................................................................................................... 73
BRANTFORD ....................................................................................................... 74
BRIGHTON .......................................................................................................... 79
BROCKVILLE....................................................................................................... 80
CANBORO ........................................................................................................... 84
CARLETON PLACE .............................................................................................. 85
CHATHAM........................................................................................................... 87
COLBORNE.......................................................................................................... 89
DUNDAS ............................................................................................................. 90
DUNNVILLE ........................................................................................................ 91
EGMONDVILLE.................................................................................................... 92
EXETER............................................................................................................... 93
FORESTER'S FALLS ............................................................................................. 94
GODERICH .......................................................................................................... 96
GUELPH .............................................................................................................. 97
HAMILTON........................................................................................................ 100
HARRISTON ...................................................................................................... 103
KINGSTON ........................................................................................................ 104
LONDON ........................................................................................................... 114
NEWMARKET .................................................................................................... 121

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada v

OSHAWA........................................................................................................... 122
OTTAWA........................................................................................................... 123
PEMBROKE........................................................................................................ 130
PENVILLE.......................................................................................................... 132
PERTH............................................................................................................... 133
PETERBOROUGH ............................................................................................... 143
PICTON ............................................................................................................. 144
PORT COLBOURNE ............................................................................................ 146
PORT PERRY ..................................................................................................... 147
PRESCOTT......................................................................................................... 150
RENFREW ......................................................................................................... 155
ST. CATHARINES .............................................................................................. 156
SEAFORTH ........................................................................................................ 157
SIMCOE............................................................................................................. 158
SMITH'S FALLS ................................................................................................. 159
STRATHROY...................................................................................................... 161
TORONTO.......................................................................................................... 162
WINDSOR.......................................................................................................... 174
WOODSTOCK .................................................................................................... 175
YORKVILLE ...................................................................................................... 176
UNKNOWN, POSSIBLY ONTARIO?...................................................................... 177

BRITISH COLUMBIA .................................................................................... 181

COLWOOD ........................................................................................................ 181
NANAIMO ......................................................................................................... 182
VANCOUVER..................................................................................................... 183
VICTORIA ......................................................................................................... 184

COLLECTORS................................................................................................. 189

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................. 198

INDEX................................................................................................................ 199

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada vi

Forward Books like this one are never finished (there's always a bottle
missing), so they are often never started. I've wanted to write this
Growing up as I did in Ontario, in the 1980s, collecting in and book for twenty years, and must thank my wife for informing me
around my hometown of Ottawa, I found there were very few that NOW was the time. It's been an immensely rewarding
resources for a young bottles collector to consult. Mostly process, being a part of putting this book together. I've no doubt
there were the Unitt’s books, which were enticing, but limited. there are countless omissions, hopefully not too many errors, and
Like most bottle collectors, I was, at the same time, thrilled by neither too much nor too little detail to satisfy you, the reader.
the grainy black and white photos and frustrated by the poor However, that is what subsequent editions are for, and this book
resolution and small selection. It was books on American and has been too long in the waiting already.
British bottles, with their full colour spreads of early rainbow-
coloured glass and earthy pottery, that really put the hook in This book does not stand on its own - it stands on the shoulders of
me. Like Phil, I applaud the first efforts of a fledgling hobby; books by countless pioneers of the hobby who, back in the late
they were invaluable, but the next generation of books holds 1960s and early 1970s, decided it was high time to start protecting
great promise indeed, as this book and its sister book, and collecting bits and pieces of our Canadian culture. Our
Transfer Printed Ginger Beers of Canada, clearly bibliography contains a virtual "who's who" of the Canadian bottle-
demonstrate. publishing world for the past forty years, and we thank each of
them for the help and knowledge they've provided to the hobby in
If you bought our digital version you are in for a treat! You general, and to us in particular as we amassed images for this
now have at your fingertips literally hundreds of full colour, book.
often life-sized, high-resolution images of primitive bottles
from right across the country! Colour is important; it affects I've always felt that the best thing about this hobby was the people
the way we perceive hues, texture, and even brilliance. - something underlined particularly on my trip down east, shooting
Colour is particularly important when it comes to evaluating bottles from 10 collections in four days. No one turned me down,
bottles, as minor variations can translate into major price and many went far out of their way to help me track down the last
differences. few elusive bottles in the eastern provinces. From out west,
images were emailed to me at all hours of the day and night. And
If you bought our print version, you have the best quality black throughout Ontario, it's been amazing the support we have
and white photos possible, and better yet you have over 275 received from across the province. So many bottles I've never
images, the largest collection of Canadian primitive photos seen before - never even knew they existed! For us, this book has
ever assembled by far! We know there are many more, so been a lot of fun to put together, and one big "wow!" as a finished
please tell us about them. There are already plans for a product. We hope you get as many hours of enjoyment going
sequel. Enjoy! through it as we did in assembling it. Cheers!

Scott Phil

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 1

Introduction $50-$100, while rare and attractive ones often sell for $800+.
Inflation can account for some of the increase in prices, but
While there have no doubt always been people in Canada there is no question that demand today is greater than supply
and prices are going higher and higher all the time.
attracted by and interested in old bottles, the hobby did not
really catch on in any big way until the 1960s. From the How Many Are There?
beginning, ginger beers were popular with collectors, as they
are some of the oldest and most attractive bottles to be found. The following table details how many of each type of bottle we
found. You can see all the transfer-printed ginger beers in the
Old bottles used to be more plentiful than is the case today. sister publication to this book.
After the Second World War, many Canadian cities and towns
expanded. As they grew beyond their 19th century borders, Province Primitives Transfers Total
some of the earliest dumps were often uncovered.
Construction sites were open to scavengers and a lot of early B.C. 15 64 79
bottles were unearthed. This same expansion saw many farms Alberta 0 17 17
sold, the contents of cellars, barns and attics flooding into flea Saskatchewan 0
markets, antique shops and auctions. As long as the supply of Manitoba 0 5 5
bottles stayed steady, prices remained relatively low. 30 years Ontario 32 32
ago, you could buy most primitive stoneware bottles for less Quebec 185 195 380
than $40. It was not uncommon for collectors to want to New Brunswick 3 45 48
acquire one of each. P.E.I. 113 177
Nova Scotia 64
Today, the thought of amassing such a collection would send Newfoundland 5 3 8
any collector’s pocketbook into a nervous breakdown. The Total 110 120
supply of bottles has virtually dried up and demand is high. It 10
has become harder to find large, early dumps. Most have been 1 1 2
built upon, or they are inaccessible under parks and sports 585 868
fields. Bottles still show up at auctions and shows, however 283
they are few and far between and there are more collectors
hunting for them. Collectors now have more experience to draw There are fewer bottles that we had imagined. Where are all
on and therefore, a better sense of what is common and what is the Quebec bottles? There must be more than 50! 64 primitives
rare. If, after 30 years of serious collecting, a bottle is known from New Brunswick and only ten from Nova Scotia - how
by only one or a handful of examples, that is a pretty fair come? Some of the largest collections we photographed were
indication that it is rare. Notwithstanding the fact that tomorrow, in Nova Scotia - are all their primitives still buried? There are so
someone could dig a hundred ginger beer bottles from a single many soda manufacturers listed in old directories for which
hole and a previously rare bottle could become common there are no known bottles. Clearly a lot of companies just used
overnight. Nowadays, even common primitive bottles are worth plain bottles with paper labels. But no doubt, there are still
others to be found. We look forward to what exciting new finds
the second edition of this book will have to offer!

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 2

Condition marks, scratches, or damage of any kind, however slight. "Near
mint" can have imperfections, but otherwise no damage beyond
Generally speaking, condition is always important when very light wear and tiny nibbles (particularly on sharp
something is being bought or sold. The better the shape shoulders). Many collectors consider a bottle with a runny or
something is in, the more desirable it tends to be and therefore, blurred crest but perfect pottery to be mint. We disagree. As
the more valuable it is in the eye of the beholder. Condition well, there are a wide number of sins covered by the
affects the price of all bottles. In some categories, a crack can designation "in-manufacture flaw." One must remember that
be enough to shave 50-75% off the value of even a top-grade these were utility bottles churned out typically in the hundreds
bottle. (if not thousands) with little regard for perfection. In-
manufacture flaws happened all the time, but they must still be
It is difficult to say exactly how condition affects the value of taken into account when valuing a bottle. Weak and runny
pottery bottles because there are so many variables. Stain or crests, pock marks from stones that fell loose, these and many
rust is not typically a big deal, since this sort of blemish can other factors need to be taken into account when describing a
generally be cleaned (see our section on cleaning bottles). bottle's condition and pricing it accordingly. Always remember,
While a small nick in the lip or base might only reduce a bottle’s bottle collectors are a picky bunch!
value by a few dollars, large chips and hairline cracks (as
opposed to glaze cracks) can really lower the price. It is safe to As a final caution, it is possible to repair pottery bottles so that
say that this type of major damage lowers the value of common the damage is almost completely hidden. Most collectors
bottles (categories 1-3) quite considerably, by half or more. consider repaired bottles as "damaged," so this will tend to
However, extremely rare bottles (categories 4-5) may still retain lower the value somewhat, depending on the buyer. It is
much of their value despite damage, since the demand is worthwhile buying a small black light (ultraviolet lamp) from a
relatively high and a better one may never come along. In this stamp collectors’ shop, so that you can detect repairs that are
book, you can see images of several bottles that are only invisible to the naked eye, especially if you are putting out a lot
known by single, damaged examples. of money for a bottle. These lamps cost between $25-30, and
show up repairs as a white, ghostly sheen on the bottle.
Truly mint bottles (that is bottles without the slightest bit of
damage) are hard to find and therefore, are more costly. "Mint"
means perfect: perfect transfer or imprint and no cracks, chips,

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 3

Prices - Values - Rarity

Valuing antique bottles is an extremely challenging task. Rare of-a-kind" small town bottles with no place name written on
bottles may change hands once in a lifetime, making them very them, even if the latter bottle comes with excellent provenance.
Note also that prices vary regionally. Nova Scotia only has six
difficult to price. Note that the price ranges listed are for near bottles that are early, probably Canadian-made, hand-thrown
bottles. Thus, a J.B. Baker from Halifax can be a Category 5
mint specimens. Note also, any bottle from Category 2 up may bottle even without any other redeeming features beyond sheer
be "one of a kind." Rarity is not so much a key factor with these collector desire.
bottles as DEMAND. A "Canada West" bottle, even if there are
four known, will command 3 to 5 times the price of most "one-

Category Classification 2002 Price Range

1 Readily Available $100-200
2 Available $200-400
3 Scarce $400-600
4
5 Sought After $600+
Extremely Sought After $800+

Category 1 - A persistent collector should be able to acquire features such as multiple lines of writing or a date. Selling a
one at a reasonable price. That is not to say these bottles are bottle in this category for full value will require a motivated
common, just that you can expect to see them around for sale. seller and a serious, knowledgeable buyer. If you have one of
these bottles, it would be a good idea to hold onto it until you
Category 2 - These bottles are a more difficult to find but most can find out exactly what it is worth at a given time and place.
advanced collectors who want them will have them. Bottles in
this category will typically just have a name impressed in the Category 5 - These bottles are truly exceptional. Typically they
pottery. are both rare and have one or more other notable features - a
date, a rare shape or glaze, the letters "C.W." (Canada West),
Category 3 - Bottles in this category are rare and often have or perhaps, say, a hand-painted image of a man smoking a
the name of the merchant as well as the town stamped in the cigarette! The description of a category 5 bottle will tell you
pottery. why we think it should be counted among the best and most
valuable. The asking price and selling price will depend on the
Category 4 - Demand is key here. These bottles are very particular circumstances in which these bottles are sold. What
scarce and, accordingly, prices start to become a real matter of you can get for one of these is anyone’s guess.
opinion. Bottles in this category will change hands very
seldom, making them hard to price. They will typically have key

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 4

Canadian or American - Do Smooth Bases and Concentric Circles Tell a Tale?

For the longest time, rumour has had it that you could tell whether a bottle was
Canadian-made or American-made based on the basal markings. Smooth based
bottles were Canadian; bottles with concentric circles ("circular wire grooves" - made
by the potter's wire as he cut the bottle off the wheel) were American. No one knew
for certain, but concentric circles were deemed to be as American as apple pie.

In the course of writing this book, we have undertaken a cursory look at this
statement, and found it to be "somewhat true." Fascinating, of course, because
potters moved across the border often, and Canadians bought American wares and
vice versa. "Somewhat true," however, is all we can say. We have found a number of
bottles with definite Canadian heritage that have these basal wire cutting marks, and
email conversations with seasoned American collectors of primitives have turned up
smooth-based American bottles. However, our American collecting friends tell us that
routinely half of their bottles have these concentric circles on the base. From our
research, fewer than 10% of Canadian bottles have these basal markings, and half of
those are on bottles used by bottlers who sold on both sides of the border (Wallis in
New Brunswick, for example).

No doubt, this question awaits someone who is ready to focus on a number of issues.
How do the statistics stack up in a more formal study? Are bottles from one area of
Canada or the U.S.A. more or less likely to have base marks? There's no apparent
reason this method of cutting bottles off the wheel should be country-specific -
perhaps a certain "school" of potters working in a certain geographic area were more
likely to remove their bottles with wires?

Basal markings alone will not make for a positive identification of the country of origin
for your name-only bottles, but for now, it would appear that the age-old rule of thumb
is still a pretty good place to start.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 5

Age

Throughout much of the 19th century in Canada, pottery
bottles were commonly incised or impressed with a
merchant’s name and often other details such as place
names, product names, potter’s marks and even dates.
Most of these primitive bottles were made from durable
stoneware, a vitrified pottery that was typically salt-
glazed. These heavy, often crude bottles came in a
wide variety of shapes and sizes, reflecting the fact that
they were hand-made by different potters.

The first Canadian primitives are probably from the
1840s, though some may have been in use before this.
Bottles such as the Crosskills of Halifax, Nova Scotia
and the Griffins and Donoghues of Kingston, Ontario
are among the oldest and most unusual examples.
Although there are regional shapes, glazes and letter
sizes, the basic cylindrical shape and rough appearance
of primitive bottles remained largely unchanged from
the 1850s through to the early 1890s, when more
refined and uniform bottles first appeared.

It is difficult to say exactly when, but at some point in Two of Canada's earliest primitives - a Griffin from Kingston, Ontario, and
the 1890s, pottery bottles with ink transfers or stamps a Crosskill's, from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
under the glaze began to rapidly replace the earlier
incised type of bottles. Dating bottles was a common
practice in New Brunswick (though nowhere else in
Canada). This practice helps to identify approximately
when this transformation occurred. Companies like
S.H. McKee of Fredericton, New Brunswick had dates
put on their primitives as early as the 1850s and
continued to do so (on both primitives and transfer
printed bottles) until the First World War. S.H. McKee &
Sons started dating their bottles every year, in an
unbroken chain from 1889 to 1913. The first transfer

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 6

printed McKee bottles appear in 1894. The Dolans of
Saint John also used dated transfer printed bottles and the
earliest of these is from 1896. After a skipped year in 1897
(no bottles yet found with that date), dated Dolans can be
found all the way up to 1916. James Roué of Halifax was
the only Nova Scotia ginger beer manufacturer to use
dated transfer printed bottles; the earliest one is dated
1898. The last, interestingly enough, is an incised bottle
from 1903. Several manufacturers used crossover bottles -
the 1903 Roué and the impressed Drolet from Ottawa are
two excellent examples of bottles that were used during
the transfer-printed era, but for some reason, were
impressed.

The dates of operation for a number of Canadian potteries
that are known to have made transfer printed bottles, also
support the idea that these bottles first appeared
sometime in the 1890's:

• The Brantford Stoneware Manufacturing Co.,
Brantford, Ont. (1894-1907);

• Glass Brothers & Co, London, Ont. (1888-1897); and
• James W. Foley & Company (1900-1940s).

By the late 1920s, cheaper glass and eventually plastic
containers had replaced pottery bottles altogether.
Fortunately for collectors, these pottery bottles were made
to last and many have survived to remind us of Canada’s
pioneer past.

Two of the latest primitive style ginger beers - the Roue, on the left,
made in England, and the Drolet, a very curious bottle, perhaps made

in Canada?

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 7

Cleaning Pottery Bottles though we would hesitate to use this process on a valuable
primitive bottle. Practice before you try it on your best
There are still a great many collectors who search and toil in bottle!
dirt and mud for old bottles. Often these bottles are found badly
stained or rust covered. Every digger has their own method for 3. If the glaze is cracked (often all over) dirt will seep into the
cleaning bottles and there is no substitute for good old trial and cracks and stain the bottle. If you think the stain is dirt
error. Here are our recommendations. rather than rust, it can be cleaned with a soak in highly
concentrated peroxide. This requires stronger peroxide than
Use them AT YOUR OWN RISK: is available at your local pharmacy. You will need to buy 50
Volume peroxide. Find a barber's supply company or be
1. Start with a soak in ordinary soapy water overnight. Scrub nice to your barber and ask him to get it for you. Follow the
the soaked bottle with a plastic scrub pad. Do not use instructions for safe use of peroxide carefully! This
steel wool to clean pottery bottles as it can scratch the strength of peroxide evaporates quickly, so you will need to
glaze! keep buying it. Pour undiluted peroxide into a tray deep
enough to cover the bottle completely. Leave the bottle to
2. If the bottle has stubborn rust or calcium deposits, soak it in soak for 1-2 days maximum. Rinse and scrub it with a
a mixture of muriatic acid and water (half-and-half) for 1-2 plastic scrub pad. Bake the bottle on an old cookie sheet in
days maximum. Follow the instructions for safe use of the oven overnight at the lowest possible setting (at the
muriatic acid carefully! It will burn you badly! It will point where it just clicks on). This forces the moisture from
also burn holes in almost anything (concrete floor, the bottle and the stain and peroxide along with it. Often the
asphalt garage floor, etc.) Rinse and scrub it with a plastic stain will come out and stick to the glaze in a fine powder.
scrub pad. Bake the bottle on an old cookie sheet in the Let the bottle fully cool to room temperature and then wash
oven overnight at the lowest possible setting (at the point it in soapy water. Warning: some glazes are sensitive to
where it just clicks on). This forces the moisture from the highly concentrated peroxide and can be damaged by
bottle and the rust and acid along with it. Often the stain will it! This process works incredibly well and has been used
come out and stick to the glaze in a fine powder. Let the successfully on not just ginger beers, but fine bone china.
bottle fully cool to room temperature and then wash it in Practice before you try it on your best bottle!
soapy water. Warning: some glazes are sensitive to
muriatic acid and can be damaged by it! We have seen
the glaze on cheap pottery inkwells literally get washed off
by it! Generally, ginger beer bottles can handle the acid,

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 8

Newfoundland

St John's

NF-1 John Carter (c.1864-1884)

"John Carter / 30 New Gower St / Saint Johns / Newfoundland"

Description: Tan top quart.
Height:
Potter/Agent:
Category: 5

Note: There is only one of these bottles known at this time, in the condition as
pictured.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 9

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 10

Nova Scotia

Halifax

NS-1 J. B. Baker

"J. B. Baker"

Description: Yellow body quart.
Height: 9 1/2"
Base: smooth
Category: 3

Note: There is a variant of this bottle with a different yellow
coloration.

NS-2 J. B. Baker

"J B Baker"

Description: Brown top over grey quart, blue wash.
Height: 10" to 10 3/8"
Base: smooth
Category: 4

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 11

Halifax….continued

NS-3 Canada Mineral Water Co.

"Canada / Mineral Water Co. / Halifax, N.S."

Description: Ivory pint, blue wash in writing.
Height: 8"
Potter: No Mark
Category: 4

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 12

Halifax….continued

NS-4 James Crosskill

"Crosskills / Superior / Ginger / Beer"

Description: Crude, string rim around lip, dark chocolate, tall pint.
Height: 8 3/4"
Base: Smooth - 2 of the 3 I've seen are concave.
Category: 5

Note: Perhaps Canada's second-best primitive. It is both very old and quite unique. We saw

three of these bottles, though only one is marked. All three came out in the same dig in
Halifax. Coloration is as below. The centerpiece to whatever collection it graces.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 13

Halifax….continued

Glass, paper label Crosskill bottle, note "Established
1813." Crosskill was "awarded two medals and eight
first prizes for superior excellence of manufactures,"
and the central medallion on this bottle is dated 1865.

Unmarked Crosskill primitive. Two unmarked bottles are
known: one with a straight neck, the other this incredibly
unique, impossibly bent specimen!

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 14

Halifax….continued

NS-5 A.J. Davis

"A.J. Davis / Pure McNab / Halifax N.S."

Description: Tight writing, white pint, blue wash in lettering.
Height: 8 1/4"
Potter: W.S. & Co., H or unmarked
Category: 1

Note: Pure McNab refers to McNab Island, in Halifax Harbour,
where the Davis plant was located. In a 1970s dig, literally hundreds
of these bottles were found. All Davis bottles have an upside-down
V used as the last A in "Halifax." That being the case, it is safe to
conjecture that all bottles were ordered from the same manufacturer
at the same time by Webster Smith & Co. of Halifax for Davis,
whether marked or unmarked.

NS-6 A.J. Davis

"A.J. Davis / Pure McNab / Halifax N.S."

Description: Spread apart lines of writing, white pint, bue wash in
lettering.
Height: 8 1/4"
Potter: W.S. & Co., H. or unmarked.
Category: 1

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 15

Halifax…continued

NS-7 James Roue

"James Roue / Registered / 1903 / Trade Mark / Halifax N.S."

Description: Dark brown top internal thread pint.
Height: 6 3/4"
Potter/Agent: Lovatt & Lovatt
Category: 1

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 16

Sydney

NS-8 Nash & McAlister

"Nash / & / McAlister"

Description: Dark brown top pint.
Height: 7 3/4" - 8"
Base: Smooth
Category: 4

NS-9 Nash & McAllister

"Nash / & / McAlister"

Description: Light brown quart.
Height: 9 1/2"
Smooth base.
Category: 4

NS-10 Nash & McAllister

"Nash / & / McAlister"

Description: Dark brown quart {no photo
available}.
Height: 9 1/2"
Smooth base.
Category: 4

Note: these three bottles may be early bottles
made at the Foley Pottery in Saint John, New
Brunswick.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 17

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 18

Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown

Bevan Bros.

A redware bottle made of P.E.I. clay, marked "B B" is believed to exist, attributed to Bevan
Brothers, early Charlottetown bottlers. A single specimen is said to exist, and although we
haven't seen it, we've been told about it by two independent sources. That said, we have
also seen a listing for "Brighton Brewery" in Charlottetown, so the attribution may not be
definitive. There is also a quart primitive marked "B&B" - we are told this bottle is American,
not Canadian.

PE-1 G Simmonds

"GSimmonds"

Description: Grey pint with blue wash.
Height: 6 1/2"
Base: Smooth
Category: 2

Note: Hutchinson's Prince Edward Island Directory, 1864 lists "Simmons, George, beer
manufacturer, Euston n{orth of} Prince."

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 19

Charlottetown….continued

PE-2 G Simmonds

"Simmonds"

Description: Red chocolate pint.
Height: 6 1/2"
Base: Smooth
Category: 2

PE-3 G Simmonds

"Simmonds / Charlotte.Town"

Description: Medium brown pint.
Height: 6 3/4"
Base: Smooth
Category: 3

Note: Charlotte Town spelled as two words. Rare
variant. We only know of two.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 20

Charlottetown….continued

PE-4 G Simmons

"G Simmons / Charlottetown"

Description: Medium sandy brown pint.
Height: 7 1/4"
Base: Smooth
Category: 2

PE-5 G Simmons

"G Simmons / Ch.Town"

Description: Medium sandy brown pint, similar to
previous bottle.
Height: 7 1/2"
Base: Smooth
Category: 3

Rare variant.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 21

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 22

New Brunswick

Indian Town

NB-1 W. Brown

"W.Brown / 1874"

Description: Dated (on side) brown top quart, light
blue wash in lettering.
Height: 9 3/4"
Base: Concentric wire groove marks
Category: 3

Note: Brown was in business c. 1868-1874. Indian
Town is now the north end of Saint John. Note also:
Two images of the same bottle (front and side).

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 23

Fredericton

NB-2 S.H. McKee

"S.H. McKee / Bottle Not Sold / 1854"

Description: Dated grey quart with blue wash
in lettering.
Height: 10"
Base: Smooth
Category: 4

NB-3 S.H. McKee

"S.H. McKee / Fred. N.B. / 1866"

Description: Dated grey pint with blue wash in
lettering.
Height: 8 3/8"
Base: Smooth
Category: 5

Note: Extremely rare bottle from a highly
collected company.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 24

Fredericton….continued

NB-4 S.H. McKee

"S.H. McKee, / F'ton, N.B, / 1867"

Description: Grey pint, blue wash in lettering.
Height: 8 3/4"
Base: Concentric wire grooves
Category: 5

Note: Extremely rare, plus dated 1867 -
Canada's year of Confederation.

NB-5 S.H. McKee

"S.H. McKee, / Fred' N.B, / 1868"

Description: Tan quart.
Height: 11"
Base:
Category: 5

Note: Extremely rare, dated, from a highly
collected company.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 25

Fredericton….continued

NB-6 S.H. McKee

"S.H. McKee / Bottle Not Sold"

Description: Brown top quart, blue wash in lettering.
Height: 10"
Base:
Category: 2

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 26

Fredericton….continued

NB-7 S.H. McKee

"S.H. Mc'Kee"

Description: Tall grey quart.
Height: 10 3/4"
Base: Smooth
Category: 2

NB-8 S.H. McKee

"S.H. Mc'Kee"

Description: Grey pint, blue wash in lettering.
Height: 8"
Base:
Category: 2

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 27

Fredericton….continued

NB-9 S.H.McKee &
Sons

"S.H. McKee & Sons"

Description: Pint
bottle.
Height:
Base: wire groove
Category: 2

Note: Band around
neck. This bottle
comes in a blob top
variant and a collar
top variant. It also
comes in a grey body
and a tan body.

On right: Collar top
grey, blob top grey,
blob top tan. Notice
different placement of
"c" in McKee.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 28

Fredericton….continued

NB-10 S.H. McKee & Sons

"S.H. McKee & Sons"

Description: Grey pint, blue wash, serif lettering
(as opposed to the next bottle).
Height: 8"
Base:
Category: 2

NB-11 S.H. McKee & Sons

"S.H. McKee & Sons"

Description: Tan pint, blue wash, sans serif font
(as opposed to the previous bottle).
Height: 8"
Base:
Category: 2

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 29

Fredericton….continued

NB-12 S.H. McKee & Sons 1889

"S.H. McKee & Sons / 1889"

Height: 8 3/4"
Potter: Price Bristol
Category: 1

NB-13 S.H. McKee & Sons 1890
NB-14 S.H. McKee & Sons 1891
NB-15 S.H. McKee & Sons 1892
NB-16 S.H. McKee & Sons 1893

Note: These bottles have the same description as
the above 1889 bottle.

Note: Each year seems to come in both serif (top)
and sans serif (bottom) font type faces. Which
means that you could potentially have ten bottles
to collect, not five.

In 1894, McKee started using transfer-printed
bottles. Dated McKee's exist from 1894 to 1913 in
the transfer-printed style.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 30

Fredericton….continued

NB-17 G.B. Moore & Co.

"G.B. Moore & Co."

Description: Grey quart.
Height: 9 3/4"
Base: Smooth
Category: 2

Note: The blue in the lettering is new ink, not a cobalt blue wash applied at time of
manufacture.

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Saint John

NB-18 J. Bogan

"J. Bogan / 1852"

Description: Blue lip grey body quart, dated on
the side.
Height: 9 1/4"
Base: Smooth
Category: 4

NB-19 J. Bogan

"J Bogan / 1854"

Description: Blue lip grey body quart, dated on
the front or reverse {two bottles seen; one dated
on front, one on reverse}.
Height: 8 3/4"
Base: Smooth
Category: 4

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 32

Saint John….continued

NB-20 J. Bogan

"J. Bogan"

Description: Grey quart, light blue lip, large
character text.
Height: 10"
Base:
Category: 2

NB-21 J. Bogan

"J. Bogan"

Description: Grey quart, plain lip, small character
text.
Height: 9 1/2" to 10"
Base: Smooth
Category: 2

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 33

Saint John….continued

NB-22 Carvell & Grogan

"Carvell & Grogan"

Description: Grey quart, blue wash in lettering.
Height: 9 1/4"
Base: Smooth
Category: 2

NB-23 Francis Clerke

"From Francis Clerke / St John NB"

Description: Brown pint, incised lettering at
base. Note: white powder has been added to
bring out the writing - the lettering itself is
uncoloured.
Height: pint
Base:
Category: 4

Note: Extremely rare pint - probably made in
the United Kingdom? Clerke was in business
in the 1850s.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 34

Saint John….continued

NB-24 J. Devine

"J. Devine / 1852"

Description: Medium brown glaze over grey quart,
dated.
Height: 10"
Base: Concentric wire groove
Category: 4

NB-25 J. Devine

"J. Devine"

Description: Exceptional mead or cider shaped bottle,
quart, honey glazed.
Height: 10"
Base: Smooth
Category: 4

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 35

Saint John….continued

NB-26 J. Devine

"J. Devine"

Description: Brown slip over grey body quart,
large print.
Height: 10 3/4"
Base: Smooth.
Category: 2

NB-27 J. Devine

"J. Devine"

Description: Blue lip quart, blue wash in lettering.
Height: 10"
Base:
Category: 2

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 36

Saint John….continued

NB-28 P. Devine

"P. Devine / 1853"

Description: Quart honey brown slip over grey
bottle.
Height: 9 1/2" to 9 3/4"
Base: Smooth
Category: 4

Note: This bottle comes in two different character
sets - a serif font (left) and a larger, sans serif font
(right).

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 37

Saint John….continued

NB-29 P. Devine

"P. Devine / 1854"

Description: Quart, grey or tan bottle, very thin
brown glaze on neck and lip, blue wash in lettering.
Height: 9 1/2" - 9 3/4"
Base: Smooth
Category: 4

NB-30 P. Devine

"P. Devine"

Description: Grey quart.
Height: 9 3/8"
Base: Smooth
Category: 2

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 38

Saint John….continued

Note on the P & M Devines

There seems to be a long-running discussion as to whether the Devines are Canadian or
American. In particular, the P & M Devines are claimed by a Peter Devine of Boston
Massachusetts. Extensive directory research has been done that places the P. Devine
and the J. Devine in Saint John, but no directory listing has been found in Saint John for
P & M Devine. Dave Graci, author of American Stoneware Bottles found a listing for
"P. & M. Devine" in Boston, Massachusetts in 1872 and 1874 as a soda water
manufacturer.

We will offer two thoughts to this discussion. First, Saint John and Boston are both
seaports, and there was considerable trade between the two cities. Second, during a trip
to Saint John, a long-time local digger asked, "If the P. & M. Devine is an American
bottle, how come I'm coming up with pieces of them almost all the time when I dig?"

NB-31 P & M Devine

"P. & M. Devine"

Description: Grey quart, blue wash.
Height: 9 3/4"
Base: Concentric wire grooves
Category: 1

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 39

Saint John….continued

NB-32 P.& M. Devine

"P. & M. Devine"

Description: Grey quart, light brown colouring on
neck, no blue wash in lettering.
Height: 9"
Base: Smooth
Category: 2

NB-33 P. & M. Devine

"P. & M. Divine"

Description: Grey quart, blue wash, note
misspelled name.
Height: 9 1/2"
Base: Concentric wire grooves
Category: 1

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 40

Saint John….continued

NB-34 John Dolan

"J Dolan"

Description: Blue top quart.
Height: 9.5"
Base:
Category: 2

NB-35 John Dolan

"J Dolan"

Description: Blue top pint.
Height: 7.5"
Base: smooth
Category: 2

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 41

Saint John….continued

NB-36 John Dolan

"J Dolan"

Description: Black top quart.
Height: 9.5"
Base:
Category: 4

Note: Rare colour top.

Primitive Stoneware Bottles of Canada www.canadianbottles.com 42