I think I am at the point at which I can demonstrate the ownership of this company by the Hartill family & its early history. I have found that the Kellys directories & censuses point to the formation of the company in or around 1880 in 12 Bishop Street, probably by a John Osman, an established publican in the Smethwick area (Lord Nelson, Moilliett Arms).
Between 1890 & 1895 the proprietor had become (John) Henry Hartill, a former miller & flour agent from Oldbury ( originally from the Victoria Flour Mill, Birmingham St., by Bustle Bridge on the original (now disappeared) canal). In 1895 the Birmingham Syphon Co were at 168 Bishop St.
In the 1901 census, Luke Bradley, who was recalled as the owner much later in the 20th century, was a 'clerk, mineral water company'. He was also originally from Oldbury, but in the 1891 census was listed as still at Oldbury & employed as a 'clerk Chemical Wks' (probably Chance & Hunt).
In 1903, kellys directory has the company at Meriden St & the proprietor is John Harry Hartill (John Henrys son) who was still at the helm at the time of his death in 1916, as reported at the time & recalled in an excellent recent article by the Core Library at Solihull avai;lable at
https://solihulllife.org/2016/01/25/25th-jan-1916/ .
I will try & find my way through the later history of the company as Luke Bradley became more & more influential & senior (by 1911 census he was listed as 'secretary of ltd company, mineral water manfr.' Perhaps readers of this forum may have information of later owners, who seem to have been involved in the later history of the company, including after the death of Luke Bradley in 1957. There are 2 people I would be interested to know about, they are Owen Arthur Adams & Lancelot James Cooper who were mentioned as company directors, presumably of the Birmingham Syphon Co ltd., in the probate report associated with the death of Luke Bradley in 1957.
It seems to me at present, that on the death of John Harry Hartill in 1916, his sons Harold Leslie & Harry Clifford did not seem to take a central role in the company, although his widow, Florence, was still a director in 1921. Harold Leslie Hartill was still noted as a 'mineral water manufacturer' living at Gattax Farm, Outill, Studley at the time of his resignation from the (special?) police in 1936. Older brother Harry Clifford seems to have spent a lot of time 'in the colonies' prior to the great war, in which both he & Harold Leslie served. Harry Clifford married, as they say, late in life in 1933. By 1939 he seems to be at the Mitre Inn, Bromsgrove with wife Ellen but after the war seems to have settled at 286 Alcester Rd, Birmingham.
Any light anyone can shine on the later life of these Hartill brothers, why they seem not have been involved in the company, or any information on Owen Adams & Lancelot Cooper would be welcome as an indication of how the company developed & why, after John Harry Hartills death in 1916