Bite Size: Striking Gold

A John Gold & Sons of Balclutha crown cap soft drink bottle, probably 1920s. Image courtesy of Graeme, aka grayman on Trade Me, The Oddity, Waikouaiti. 

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This one really had me stumped this morning. Thinking at first it was a soft drink, being a typical early crown-cap bottle – I had no records coming up anywhere for a “John Cold”, which by now I know means something is not right. Then I noticed it stated “baker” in the embossing. What kind of product could it be? Tomato sauce was the first thing that crossed my mind. All that fruit and sugar used to make preserves goes hand in hand with with baking and confectionery . Dozens of searches in my usual go-tos were fruitless (sorry!), and that’s just not possible. Eventually I struck Gold. Literally. The name is spelled wrong on the bottle!

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The Waitomo departing New Zealand for the U.K. in April 1915 with two bakers aboard: John Gold and Edgar (sic) Gold.

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John Gold was operating in Clutha in the first quarter of the C20th. He was born in Scotland, 1873 where he won the majority of his thirty plus medals for his fine baking skills. He had arrived with his family in 1908 which included wife Margaret Boyes Gold, and offspring James and Edward Boyes Gold (1896-1968) who formed with him John Gold & Sons in the mid-teens. He possibly also had daughters Annie and Mary, Records of the family coming into Wellington on the “Tongariro” show two females whose names both begin with M. A later record shows John leaving on the “Waitomo” in 1915, no doubt on one of his many trips back to the U.K. for shows and conventions, with an Edgar, also a baker (obviously a mistake with the name). First residing in Dunedin, he came to Balclutha in early 1915 and purchased the business of A. Hutton in Clyde Street, in early February 1916. He immediately developed a beneficial strategic relationship with a client – The Dominion Pressed Yeast Co (later D.Y.C Vinegar, which many will remember) – enough so that they wrote a glowing testimonial for his bread in 1916 which was used publicly as an advert.

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L: A John Gold & Sons of Balclutha crown cap soft drink bottle, probably 1920s. Image courtesy of Graeme, aka grayman on Trade Me, The Oddity, Waikouaiti. R: Advertisement for  J (John) Gold’s baked goods with testimonial from D.Y.C, Clutha Leader, 21 April 1916. Image Courtesy of the National Library of New Zealand.

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By the mid 1920s his importance was such that he was vice-president of the New Zealand Master Baker’s Association. He continued to operate through the 1920s and died age 64 in 1936. As I say earlier, I was guessing the container was for tomato sauce – as that is often associated with bakers, pastry cooks and confectioners – and I have run across quite a number of them that had lines of sauces, chutneys and jams. However, very occasionally in the past John Gold & Sons soda syphons have turned up at auction mentioning his plethora of British awards – along with other crown cap bottles – that indicate they definitely dipped their toe in fruit cordials, soda, and soft drink manufacturing at some point. All these items are considered very rare so I would say it was a brief foray. Interestingly, John Gold & Sons crown caps are also known with a misspelling – some with “medalist” and others “medallist”. Grammar was clearly not this family’s strong suit. The AGM markings on the base of one indicate it was likely manufactured post 1922. A scarce tan-top jug issued as a promotion by the business indicates they also had a branch at Milton for some time. It’s still just weird there’s no mentions of the family’s association with soft drinks, cordials, soda or sauces anywhere. a a a

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