W P Stafford & Co Ltd, Pearl St, Denton
The 1901 census records that William Procter Stafford was resident on Pearl St and his occupation was given as a mineral water manufacturer.
He was born in the village Ashley, Northamptonshire, in 1871 and he married his first wife, Clara Marsland Royds of Haughton, in 1898.
The couple had one son, William Royds Stafford, who was born at Denton in 1900. His first wife died prematurely in 1907, aged 32 years, and in 1908 he married Florence Sutton.
William Procter Stafford died at Audenshaw in 1954, aged 83 years, and son, William Royds Stafford, married Janet Eaton at Hope Congregational Chapel on Stockport Rd in 1926.
The works was situated off the east side of Ruby St, between Pearl St and Emerald St, Denton.
Early History
In 1881 William Procter Stafford was resident with his parents and siblings on Stockport Rd and his father, Wilson Stafford, was a baker.
By 1891 the family had moved to Hyde Rd*, on the corner of Saxon St, where Wilson Stafford had a baker’s shop and
William Procter Stafford was a mineral water bottler, the mineral water being manufactured on the premises.
By 1901 both Wilson Stafford and his son had moved to Pearl St. William Procter was now a mineral water manufacturer and his father, Wilson, was a herb beer brewer employed by his son.
The Codd bottle was introduced by Hiram Codd, a soft drink manufacturer, in 1872. It was made to contain carbonated drinks and its design enabled it to enclose a marble and a rubber washer in the neck. These bottles were filled upside down and the pressure of the gas in the bottle forced the marble against the washer, thus sealing the bottle. Bottles were opened using a special wooden Codd bottle opener. This was placed over the top of the bottle and pushed down so that the internal dowel forced the marble into the neck of the bottle, thus releasing the pressure. A local manufacturer of ebonite stoppers was Bank Bridge Works Ltd of Bank St, Clayton, Manchester.
R Wheawill, Heaton St, Denton
Robinson Wheawill was born at Patricroft, Lancashire, in 1857. He was the son of Joseph Wheawill, a Labourer, and Elizabeth Robinson and
his birth was registered at Barton-on-Irwell Register Office. His parents were married at St Mary's Church, Manchester, in 1850.
The 1881 census shows that Robinson was then living with his parents in Ellesmere St, Barton-on-Irwell, and that he was a Joiner by occupation.
He married Mary Lavinia Crawford at Barton-on-Irwell in 1885. The 1891 census shows that he was then living in New Ln, Eccles, with his wife and four-year-old daughter, Elizabeth Robinson, and he had changed his occupation to become the Manager of a Mineral Water Works. By the time of the 1901 census he had founded his own business, as a Botanic Beer Maker (ginger beer), and moved to Heaton St, Denton, where he was living with his wife, daughter and nine-year-old son, Charles Percival. His works, known as Botanic Works, was also in Heaton St. By the time of the 1911 census the family had moved to a residence on Manchester Rd.
Slater's Trade Directories for 1903, 1909 and 1911 confirm that he was in business at the Botanic Works on Heaton St as a mineral water manufacturer, which was a general name given to ginger beer manufacturers.
Robinson died at Denton in 1918, aged 60 years, and his wife, Mary Lavinia, died at Audenshaw in 1945, aged 81 years. Their son, Charles Percival Wheawill, married Doris Jones, otherwise Warden, at St Mary's Church, Newton in Mottram, in 1951 and he died at Hyde in 1959, aged 67 years.