I will try to folow up the Acme company in the west midlands, as suggested to Ray Padgett by Ann Bradley, Curator at the Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield and see if this outfit still exists and can tell me anything relevant. Meanwhile, I also have had a reply from Jessica Lambert, Assistant Curator (Collections) at the Black Country Museum in Dudley, West Midlands. She has consulted their mining history expert who has said that bottles of this type were made by the firm E.C. Theedam Ltd, ironmongers and colliery furnishers who were (and maybe still are), based in Dudley. She has supplied me with a couple of links to a bit of history about them. Her conclusion is that the water bottles most likely got the name 'Dudley' because the manufacturers were based in the area and maybe that is as far as we can go. However, I shall continue my investigations into Acme and E.C. Theedam in the hope that someone will be able to tell me that their company was the manufacturer. Any conclusive results will be posted later. Once again regards and thanks. Andy
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