CCSI Cork Crowncap Database - Brewer/Bottler
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 Brewer/bottler #16485 | | | Name | Mills Bourne Waters Ltd. |
| | | | State/Province | Lincolnshire |
| | | | | | Extra info | Water from Bourne's underground springs has been famous for centuries and was even being exported 300 years ago. The Stamford Mercury reported on 13th August 1724 that a list of goods imported into London the previous week included 129 bottles of Bourne water from Holland, presumably being brought back to this country after being sold on the Continent.
But it was enterprising businessmen during Victorian times who realised that Bourne's water was an asset to be exploited and were soon marketing the abundant natural supplies that were available under the town on a very large scale. In 1845, Mr. Robert Mason Mills purchased a chemist and druggist's shop in West Street and in 1864 began the bottling of aerated mineral water in a factory behind the premises under the name of R M Mills & Co., a name that continued in use until 1934 when it became Mills Bourne Waters.
Water for the bottling and aeration process was also drawn from a borehole that had been sunk in North Road by the newly-formed Bourne Waterworks Company in 1856 by natural artesian pressure and the company, Bourne Waters, was given a seal of approval when it was granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria's son, HRH the Duke of Connaught.
The business continued until 1878 when Mr Thomas Moore Baxter, who was born in Wisbech but had practised as a chemist in Brighton, bought the chemist's shop and on the death of Mr Mills in 1904, he also took over the aerated water business but retained the name of R M Mills and Company.
He had married Mr Mills' only daughter Emily and their son Mr Cyril Baxter eventually joined the company. In the early years of this century, the firm was manufacturing a dozen aerated beverages using flavouring extracts from various roots and herbs and special medicinal waters were also being made from doctors' prescriptions. When Thomas Baxter died in 1920, his obituary notice in the local newspaper emphasised that the firm's aerated waters were still widely popular, even at royal tables. Cyril Baxter succeeded his father in running the business but owing to ill health, he took Mr Percy Dawson into partnership, a man who had been with the firm since 1921. By 1934, the mineral water department became a limited company trading as Mills Bourne Waters Ltd. Table waters from the town were advertised as "the purest in England from an artesian spring of great depth" and supplies were despatched by horse and trailer from a depot in South Street which is now a public car park, although there were also deliveries by the company's own motor vehicle.
R M Mills, established 1864, "Bourne Water pronounced purest in England" - advert in Historic Bourne by J J Davies.
It was bottled still and aerated in champagne bottles and sold in cases of 6-dozen to a great many country houses and also HRH the Duke of Connaught and so the Royal Warrant was granted and displayed above Mills & Baxter's shop in the Market Place.
The factory was down the yard with the entrance and gates where the Darby and Joan hall stands. Lemonade, ginger beer and ginger ale were produced also sent away from Bourne by the railways who were customers at times.
In the 1930s, there was a general depression and the mineral water business was not doing well and so Mills (Bourne Waters) Ltd was formed in 1934. Some new bottling plant and a lorry were bought and so local pubs and shops and individuals could be served and Melbourn's Brewery had a contract with them to supply all their public houses with minerals. About six local businessmen invested and had shares in it. Mr H M Stanton was company secretary.
This continued until 1949 or 1950. After the war, so much new machinery etc were needed so although paying its way, it was closed down - also after an unsatisfactory manager.
R M Mills and Co had three generations owners, R M Mills, T M Baxter , C H M Baxter. |
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