# Turlington Bottle



## redbrass_ca (Feb 28, 2005)

Hi there!

 I have one Turlington bottle in my collection.  I found it on a dig many years ago. I haven't seen to many  between the various avid collectors in our part of the world.  However I am told there is a wide variety of them out there.  Does anyone know more about them and are they quite common in your neck of the woods.  What would be the value of this specimen

 Thanks Thierry


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## cowseatmaize (Feb 28, 2005)

In "Collecting Bottles" by Cecil Munsey he states they were made as early as 1744 and up to about 1900 in that same pear shaped bottle. Importing was stopped during the Revolutionary War but did resume. There are pictures of examples of 7 variations from the 1860's. I'm sure the ealier types must have been pontiled.


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## woody (Feb 28, 2005)

I have a pontiled Turlington bottle that I dug a few years ago here in New Hampshire, USA.


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## GuntherHess (Feb 28, 2005)

You have the latest version of the bottle it appears.
 They go for about $15-20 here in USA. The pontil versions i've seen sell for up to $200 for the rarer molds.

 --Matt


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## redbrass_ca (Feb 28, 2005)

Thank you very much  for your kind replies.  The bottle does not have a clear pontil scar at the base.  The two part seam stops shy of the lip.  The other side of the bottle is embossed with " By the Kings Royal Patent granted"  Each side is also embossed.  One has;"London" , the other;"JANY".  Over the years I have seen another variation which has less writing on the sides.  If anyone has some other types they wish to post I would be glad to see some older types known to collectors

 Thierry G. Papion Halifax NS.


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## David E (Mar 2, 2005)

Find three bottles but two nearest to yous are
 BY THE KINGS ROYAL PATENT
 GRANTED TO ROBT TURLINGTON 
 FOR HIS INVENTED
 BALSAM OF LIFE
 JANy 26 1774 LONDON

 Clear 2 1/2" x ? x ?
 also without p and patent dates, distinctive pear shape

 BY THE KINGS ROYAL PATENT
 GRANTED TO ROBT TURLL
 NGTON FOR HIS INVENTED
 BALSAM OF LIFE JANY
 LONDON
 Base WT &  CO

  (Whitall Tatem and company who used that mark until 1935)
 Clear 2 11/16"x 1 3/16"  also with a p Also note the two different  JANy and JANY.

 Dave


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## redbrass_ca (Mar 3, 2005)

Dear Dave


 Thanks for the info.  My bottle is more closely described by your second description.  The base has no Wt & Co.  The  JANY is all capital .  The bottle height is 2 3/4  and it width is 1 5/16.  The S of Kings is tilted forward has if it was going to fall off. The bottle thickness is aprroximately 13/16  There is no "to"    it simply goes granted Rob T Turli...

 Let me know what you find out?

 Thanks 

 Thierry


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## David E (Mar 4, 2005)

In re=reading my descriptions are correct. However there is a photo of bottle which shows (front) BY THE
                     KING'S

                      ROYAL
                    PATENT
                  GRANTED
                      TO

 (back)     ROBT
               TURLI
               NGTON
               FOR HIS
               INVENTED
               BALSAM
               OF LIFE

 And looks like the also pictured by the bottles are LONDON  JANY. He really doesn't note where this is located. Will in next few days try to get you a picture of picture.

 There is another section which just shows embosing TUR LING TONS BALSAM

 Patented 1744 (Long story)  and introduced in bottles 1750 with introduction of the popular vial in 1754.
 Bottle was shaped like this to stop forgeries and reuse of bottle but in spite of his efforts, conterfeiting continued in the US by 1768 and possibly earlier. Eventually many of the containers were also manufactured in the US
 Clear 3"x 1 1/10" x 3/4"
 Embosing and body styles varied
 imitations were also produced.
 Distinctive Pear shape.

 Dave


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## David E (Mar 5, 2005)

Picture of book picture
 Dave


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## redbrass_ca (Mar 6, 2005)

Dear Dave

 Thanks for your information.  I went to see my old buddy Bob Doiron ( Stubby on this site) He brought his two Turlingtons.  They are both very different from mine.  As a matter fact I think one of the is a fake my by a competitor.  I am posting some more pictures.  Incidently, I did quite a bit of research on the internet and found very little information about Rob T. Turlington.  He his apparently the first person to ever use embossing on a bottle and created the bottle in 1754 nearly 10 years after obtaining the patent from King Georges the II.  He wanted to discuraged cheap imitations of his product.  I could not find anything more.  They don't say anything about his life and whether he became properous thanks to the Balsam patent.  I did find a site that talk about medecine in the late 1700's early 1800's.  This remedy was a cure all for a lot of dying souls.


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## redbrass_ca (Mar 6, 2005)

the other side


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## redbrass_ca (Mar 6, 2005)

Here is the other variety that resemble mine but still very different

 It has a mold number at the base 151


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## redbrass_ca (Mar 6, 2005)

the other side


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## woody (Mar 21, 2005)

It took me awhile to dig it out but I did find the pontiled version of the "Turlingtons Balsam" bottle.
 Flared lip, (chipped), open pontil.


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## woody (Mar 21, 2005)

The other side.
 "The Kings Patent"


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## bearswede (Mar 21, 2005)

Hey Woody...

 You could spiff up that beauty with some casting resin...

 Ron


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## woody (Mar 21, 2005)

You're right, Ron.
 Although this is indicative to alot of flared lip pontiled bottles that you dig.
 The paper thin lip is so delicate almost always when you dig them there is some damage to the flared lip.
 Every once in awhile I will find one intact, although it is usually an unembossed one.


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## redbrass_ca (Mar 21, 2005)

That's a real gem!

 Thierry


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## woody (Mar 22, 2005)

I'd say that the bottle was made either in the late 1700's or early 1800's as most of the bottles that I found in that dump, 7 whole pontils and numerous broken pontiled bottles, were from that era.
 It's the same dump I found my pontiled Farley's Ink from Stoddard, NH.


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## woody (Mar 22, 2005)

Stoddard ink bottles I found in the same dump as the Turlington Balsam.


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## bearswede (Mar 22, 2005)

Woody...

 You're making me sweat blood!!!!!

 Is that dump dug out? Can I pay you to work the dregs??!!!???

 Seriously, some beautiful bottles there...

 Ron

 (I can't believe it's a Farley's...)


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## woody (Mar 22, 2005)

LOL, Ron.

 Yeah, it's a good one.I went back many times before I actually found the oldest part of the dump.
 It just goes to show you that there are still areas around that haven't been dug.
 Perserverence is the key when looking for the best areas.
 Sometimes you need to get off the beaten path.
 That, and my metal detector, make for some good diggings, sometimes.
 Most of the time you won't find anything, but every once in awhile you'll come across an area that makes it all worth while.
 Yes, I dug it out, Ron, and had a blast doing it.
 It seems there was an old stage coach inn there at one time.
 You should have seen the stuff that was broken.
 Historical flasks, iron pontils, etc...........[&o]


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## bearswede (Mar 27, 2005)

I thought I'd throw this one into the mix...

 Ron


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## bearswede (Mar 27, 2005)

reverse...


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## bearswede (Mar 27, 2005)

base... possibly a polished pontil???


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## pyshodoodle (Nov 2, 2008)

Bump..
 Not too much of the information I was looking for, but interesting, nonetheless! This bottle has the most variations I've ever seen. I guess because they made it for 150 years, that's to be expected.

 Kate


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