William Summers (1798-1876)
William Summers (1798-1876) was a mineral water manufacturer, who worked as an engineer for J. Schweppe and Co. in the 1820s, and co-founded the Bristol-based mineral water company Roughsedge and Summers, which he later ran as W. Summers & Co.
1798 William Summers was born in Marylebone, London, on the 2nd of February.
1810s and 20s Worked as an engineer for J. Schweppe and Co.
1834 Moved to Bristol and founded Roughsedge and Summers with another former Schweppe employee named William Roughsedge; their factory was at 37 Bridge Street. Roughsedge was in charge of the commercial side of the business; Summers ran the factory.
1841 Living with his wife Maria on Newfoundland Road, St Pauls, Bristol. During the 1840s Summers and his wife had three children, two of whom, Augustus and John, went on to run the family business.[1]
1851 Lived with family at 23 Wellington Place, Ashley Road, St Pauls, Bristol.[2]
1861 Lived with family at Grafton House, 13 Wellington Place, St Pauls, Bristol.[3]
1863 William Roughsedge died. The company was subsequently run as a partnership between Summers and Roughsedge’s widow Mary.
1869 Partnership dissolved in 1869, leaving Summers as the sole proprietor of the company, which was re-named as W. Summers and Co.
1871 Living at Glenmire Villa, Oakland Road, Redland, Bristol.
1876 Died on the 23rd of April. He left nearly £25,000 in effects. His sons, Augustus and John, took charge of the family business.