STONEWARE AMMONIA'S

HARDLY ANYTHING HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT GROUP OF POISON BOTTLES,WHICH AT THE LAST COUNT NUMBERED SOME 39 DIFFERENT.THAT COUNT INCLUDES THE 2 SIZES OF BOTTLES KNOWN AND VARIATIONS ON THE STENCILING OF BOTTLES FROM THE SAME COMPANIES. SIZES LARGE 10. 5 to 11inches, AND THE SMALLER SIZE 8. 5 to 9inches.

MOST COMMON BY FAR ARE THE "PLYNINE" AMMONIA'S OF WHICH NUMBER 14 DIFFERENT TO INCLUDE THE ILLUSIVE "JUMBOMONIA" WHICH IS HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM.

RARITIES ARE MANY IN THIS GROUP WITH SOME ONLY KNOWN BY ONE OR TWO BOTTLES, PICTURED ARE SOME FROM THIS GROUP.

AMMONIA WAS USED FOR MANY DIFFERENT JOBS IN VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN BRITAIN,MOST IMPORTANT WAS ITS WASHING CAPABILITIES FOR CLOTHES, COPPER AND BRASS,SILVER AND CRYSTAL, JUST ONE TABLESPOON ALONG WITH SOME SOAP IN A GALLON OF WATER WAS ENOUGH TO CLEAN ALL, ALSO USED IN THE GARDEN TO KILL GREENFLY AND OTHER SIMILAR PESTS , GOOD FOR THE HAIR, FOR GETTING RID OF DANDRUFF AND IMPARTING A LUSTRE TO THE HAIR.

HERE'S THREE MORE STONE POISON BOTTLES. THE ONE ON THE LEFT ALTHOUGH PRETTY MUNDANE IS NEVERLESS A VERY RARE BOTTLE. THE MIDDLE ARSENATE OF LEAD HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS ALTHOUGH THIS LARGE SIZE IS THE ONLY ONE KNOWN AT PRESENT, LEFT IS THE VERY RARE HALF SIZE , OF WHICH ONLY A FEW EXIST,THE MIDDLE MORE COMMON SIZE NOT PICTURED CAN BE COUNTED AS SCARCE.

BLUETOP FLAGON POISONS

AMONGST THE HARDEST TO FIND IN THE STONEWARE POISON CATEGORY ARE THE BLUETOP FLAGONS/CROCKS. VERY FEW HAVE COME TO LIGHT IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, THE MIDDLE RIGHT IS THE RAREST. ALL OF THE FLAGONS PICTURED WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE CURL METHOD WERE A BASE CIRCLE OF CLAY WOULD HAVE RINGS OF CLAY CORRELATED UP TO THE SHOULDER , AND THEN SMALLER RINGS ADDED TILL A LIP WAS APPLIED. UNDER 20 ARE KNOWN OF THE WHOLE CLASSIFICATION PICTURED.