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At the time of the Anglo-Boer War many British aerated water manufacturers named their larger Codd bottles after the artillery being used in the conflict such as “Long Tom” and “Long Guns”. This photograph of part of a Lissimore & Co of Tipton bottle shows an example:



However, in 1902 J Cresswell & Co of Smethwick highlighted a different aspect of the conflict:





Joseph Cresswell had an obvious motive for celebrating the peace rather than the guns which caused death and destruction, because his only son served in South Africa.

Joseph Robert Cresswell, hereafter Joseph junior, was born in Smethwick on 5th September 1980. Without any previous military experience, he volunteered for Army service on 4th April 1900 in Birmingham. He was assigned to the Gloucestershire Regiment and joined them 12 days later in Bristol as Private 5891. After 6 months training, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion and embarked for South Africa on 17th October 1900. The 2nd Glosters had previously embarked for South Africa on 1st January 1900 and suffered over 50 killed & wounded in their first two months there. Thus, no doubt they were pleased to see Joseph junior when he eventually caught up with them. As there is no apparent report of him being a PoW he could not have been part of the Dewetsdorp garrison captured on the 10th November 1900 by De Wet and his forces. The free remnants of the 2nd Glosters were then involved in the subsequent guerrilla warfare in Orange Free State & the Transvaal and Joseph junior was awarded the Queens South Africa medal with three clasps – “Cape Colony”, “Orange Free State” & “Transvaal” as well as the Kings South Africa medal with two clasps.

Joseph junior did not arrive back in Blightly until 15th September 1902, some four and a half months after peace was declared. Five days later he purchased his release from the 12 year (7 active & 5 in reserve) term he had signed on for nearly two and a half years earlier.

Back in Smethwick no doubt he celebrated with a glass or two of the Peace Beverage with his parents and six sisters. During the following November the firm changed its name from “J Cresswell & Co” to “J Cresswell & Son”. Joseph senior died in the December.

Joseph junior was obviously a successful businessman – at the start of the of the Anglo Boer War there were several rival firms taking advantage of the artesian wells to be found in Smethwick but a decade after peace was declared there was only J Cresswell & Son and one other. still operating. Post Anglo Boer War newspaper reports show that Joseph junior was something of a sportsman as he was a regular member of the Smethwick Crickte 2nd XI and an active member of the Swimming & Water Polo Club. Later in life he won local golf tournaments, albeit off a handicap of 14, and was a leading light in the Birmingham Rotary Club. Eventually he retired to Bournemouth where he passed away on 4th August 1955 aged 74 and leaving behind a widow and two sons.

Today it would be a toss up whether a J Cresswell & Co Cobalt Blue Glass Ginger Beer Bottle or Joseph junior's medals would fetch the most at auction.

I am indebted to Alan L Warr, fellow Smethwick Heritage Trust member and collector extraordinaire of Smethwick memorabilia, for the “Long Guns” photo and to Michael Slater of the West Country Bottle Museum for the “Peace Beverage” photo and to both for sharing their knowledge of antique bottles.