James & Pierce, 6 Bedminster Parade, Bedminster Bridge
Listed in directories of 1856 and listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory.
Jameson, Pim & Co., Brewers Hall, Lewins Mead
I'm not sure if this the same Lewins Mead Brewery listed below.
John Jeffrey & Co.
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as being at 40 & 41, Baldwin Street.
Richard Jones & Co.
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as being at Sussex Street, St. Philips.
Lawfords Gate Licensed Victualler's Society
The Lawfords Gate Liscensed Victualler's Society was formed in November 1882, with Daniel Sykes of the Redcliff Brewery as president. In December 1883, it could boast 90 active and 26 honorary members.
A report of its first annual meeting and dinner of November 21, 1883, was printed in the December 4 edition of The Brewers' Guardian.
At the annual dinner the chair was occupied [by] Mr. W. Dealtry, member of D. Sykes & Co., Redcliffe Street brewery, who accepted the position in place of Mr. Sykes, he being prevented from attending by an important engagement. The vice-chairs were occupied by Mssrs. W. Gale, president of the society, and R. N. Smart, late treasurer of the Bristol Licensed Victuallers' Benevolent and Protection Association. Amongst those present were Mssrs. A Crayford (representative of Mssrs. Ward & Hewett, Kingsdown), C. H. Worth and H. Jeffries (representatives of Mssrs. Bishop & Butt, brewers), A. Jabler (brewer), W. J. Tolley, C. Wood, G. Coles, and H. Tripp (representives of D. Sykes & Co., Redliffe Street brewery), N. J. Franklin, J. Wilcox, and F. D. Allard (representatives of the Bristol Beer and Wine Trade Association), A. M. Davies (representative of James & Pierce, Bedminster Brewery.
The usual loyal toasts having been honoured, the chairman proposed the toast of the evening "Prosperity and Success to the Lawford's Gate District Licensed Victuallers' Protection Society." He said the outside world knew the licensed victuallers, as a body, were very much assailed, so much so that it was wonderful to everybody connected with the trade that it should be allowed. (Applause.) However, they knew that libels were catching and whenever a libel of an extraordinary kind was uttered against the licensed traders they should endeavor to put it down to the cause that was recently assigned to one in a neughbouring county - that the defendant in the action had taken too much Zoedone [a popular non-alcoholic drink of the time]. (Loud laughter.)
Sir Wilfred Lawson, known as the Apostle of Temperance and the Water Cure (Laughter) speaking at Birmingham some few weeks ago, said that coffee-houses were to make people sober. Most people thought tha the masses would never be made sober by legistlation, but that it was possible to teach people to be sober by education. (Applause.) If they could succeed in doing that no body of men would be more rejoiced than the licensed victuallers themselves. (Cheers.) One thing was very certain, and that was that the assailants of the licensed victuallers, as a body, might take a lessson from them in the art of temperance in language. (Hear, hear.) Their opponents made statements of the most unblushing and unworthy character.
Even if England was to be made sober - and they all wished it - (Hear.) - they did not want any preachers or teachers from across the "herring pond" - from the other side of the Atlantic - who, having made their £50 a week, returned home with their hands deep in their pockets, and their tongues in their cheeks, boasting of having got the better of John Bull. (Applause.) He was inclined to think that more more alarm had been begotten among the licensed victuallers than was necessary. Older and more temperate heads than those of the members of the present Government spoke doubtfully of the sweeping measures levelled at the trade, and said that if anything was done compensation should step in, and the man who lost his license and his business should be compensated. (Hear, hear.) If that were done, more would be heard of it, though no amount of compensation would be adequate to the man whose business, together with the work and savings of his lifetime, was taken away. (Applause.)
Sunday closing was a matter of great importance just now. It appeared to him, and he heard the same thing said by a man who knew about it than he did, that the experience of the Government so far as they had gone in this direction had been unhappy, and that wherever Sunday closing had been tried in the counties it had failed most lamentably. (Hear, hear.) He thought the great mistake the Government were making at present was that of setting class against class. Some years ago Government thought the best thing to do was to throw open the trade in strong drink to everybody. They gave grocers licenses and outdoor licenses. Now they wish to restrict these. They made a mistake some years ago, and now they expected the people who went into the business and invested their capital in it to meekly suffer for their fault. As an instance of how they set class against class, he would tell them of something that came under his own knowledge some years ago. When grocers' licenses were first given it struck some intelligent spirits in Mincing Lane that it would be a very advisable thing, and very profitable, to set up a tea company and persuade the licensed victuallers to sell tea, in retaliation against the grocers who were damaging them. (Hear, hear.) They carried out their project, and in the first year netted a lump sum of £16,000, which was a good deal of money. (Applause.) That tended to show how great was the spirit of rivalry between the grocers and thelicensed victuallers.
It was a great misfortune that people could not live in harmony without being called upon to defend their own business in that manner. (Hear hear.) There could be no doubt that the founding of a society like that would be of benefit to them. They had some excellent officers, and if they only worked well together the association must help them to advance, or at least secure, the interest they held in their business. (Applause)
Mr. A. Harris (secretary) responded and read a list of the donations. The concluding toast were, "Kindred Societies," "Our Honorary Subscribers," "President," "Vice-chairmen," and "Visitors."
I have to say it seems that the Temperance Movement was worrying the Society.
Lawrence Hill Brewery
An early 19th century trade card shows a brewery at Lawence Hill being owned by Walter Williams but I do not know if this is the same brewery that was later owned by Charles Garton. Charles Garton was listed in the Kelly's directory of 1883 at the Lawrence Hill address and 1, Baldwin Street. The brewery was acquired by the Anglo-Bavarian Brewery Co. Ltd. of Shepton Mallet in 1898. Anglo-Bavarian was formed in 1864 and closed in 1920. Garton's used a double drop fermentation system (see Zythophile) but instead of dropping the beer from the large initial fermentation tuns into pontos to continue the fermentation in the same room the beer was dropped into a lower fermenting or cleansing room.
Lewins Mead Brewery
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as being owned by J. H. Lockley & Co. One of the breweries that were amalgamated in 1888 to form Bristol United Breweries.
Richard Lewis
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as being at the Cathay
J. H. Lockley and Sons
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as being at Lewins Mead. One of the breweries that were amalgamated in 1888 to form Bristol United Breweries.
James Milford
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as being at the Trout Brewery, Cherry Street.
R. W. Miller & Co. Pale Ale Brewery, 48 Stokes Croft
In the Kelly's directory of 1883 the premises was listed as being owned by Harvey & Co. Originally based in Maylord Street, Hereford and known as the Star Steam Brewery. It was acquired by Arnold, Perrett & Co. Ltd. when it moved to Bristol in 1889 and was registered in December 1893. It was acquired by Georges & Co. Ltd. in 1911 along with 48 public houses and closed in May 1948.
Robert Francis Nurse
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as owning a brewery at Hanham Green.
Old Market Brewery, Old Market Street
Acquired by the Ashton Gate Brewery Co. Ltd. in May 1911. I do not know if this is the same brewery as W. J. Rogers', Jacob Street Brewery which also fronted Old Market Street.
Old Porter Brewery, Bath Street
The Old Porter Brewery, Bath Street, Bristol, was built in 1730 by Isaac Hobhouse and later sold to James Grimes. In 1788 it was bought by Philip George and became Philip George and the Bristol Porter Brewery. In 1816 it became Georges, Rickettses and Company, and by 1888 it was known as Georges and Company. The business was incorporated in 1888 as Bristol Brewery Georges and Company Limited.
The company took over Bedminster Brewery 1889; Walton Brewery Co. Ltd. (date not known); R.W. Millet and Co. Ltd., Bristol, 1911; W. Hall and Sons, Lodway Brewery, Pill, 1912; Edgar Thatcher and Co., Heath Brewery, Nailsea, 1917; John Arnold and Sons, High Street, Wickwar, 1917; Bath Brewery Ltd., Westgate Street, Bath, 1923; Geo. Biggs and Sons, Crown Brewery, New Orchard Street, Bath, 1924; Ashton Gate Brewery Co. Ltd., Bedminster, 1931.
The company merged with Bristol United Breweries in 1956 and was taken over by Courage, Barclay and Simonds in 1961.
Philip George and the Bristol Porter Brewery, Bath Street
The Old Porter Brewery, Bath Street, Bristol, was built in 1730 by Isaac Hobhouse and later sold to James Grimes. In 1788 it was bought by Philip George and became Philip George and the Bristol Porter Brewery. In 1816 it became Georges, Rickettses and Company, and by 1888 it was known as Georges and Company. The business was incorporated in 1888 as Bristol Brewery Georges and Company Limited.
The company took over Bedminster Brewery 1889; Walton Brewery Co. Ltd. (date not known); R.W. Millet and Co. Ltd., Bristol, 1911; W. Hall and Sons, Lodway Brewery, Pill, 1912; Edgar Thatcher and Co., Heath Brewery, Nailsea, 1917; John Arnold and Sons, High Street, Wickwar, 1917; Bath Brewery Ltd., Westgate Street, Bath, 1923; Geo. Biggs and Sons, Crown Brewery, New Orchard Street, Bath, 1924; Ashton Gate Brewery Co. Ltd., Bedminster, 1931.
The company merged with Bristol United Breweries in 1956 and was taken over by Courage, Barclay and Simonds in 1961.
Porter and Strong Beer Brewery
The brewery was formed by Jacob Wilcox Ricketts (1754-1839) in Bath Street - later the home of the giant Courages' brewery. The brewery was purchased by Georges' in 1788.
This advert appeared in the 1st August 1807 edition of Felix Farley's Bristol Journal...
Strong Beer Brewery for Sale or Rent
TO BE DISPOSED OF, THE valuabe PORTER & STRONG BEER BREWERY, now carried on by FRY, BALL & Co. in this city.- The premises are furnished with every convenience for an extensive trade; adjoin the intended Floating Harbour, against which there is a substantial Quay Wall, with great depth of water; and are admitted to be one of the best arranged and most commodious Breweries in England.
It was amalgamated with the Tucker Street Brewery in 1816.
Bristol Porter Bewery, Bath Street
This is a company letterhead from sometime between 1788 and 1808
Image from Bristol Trade Cards by John Winstone, Reece Winstone Publishing, 1993
Redcliffe Brewery, 107 Recliffe Street
Redcliffe Brewery at 107 Recliffe Street was established 1753 but the building itself dates from 1640. In January 2022, I received an email from Clare Wilmot regarding her ancestors who once owned the brewery. In 1801, it was owned by Luke Wilmot and by 1805, by Sam and Luke Wilmot. Clare wrote that Sam was probably the father of Luke.
Sam and Luke Wilmot passed the brewery on to Samuel Reynolds Wilmot & Co. in 1818, and it was he, Samuel Reynolds Wilmot, who was declared bankrupt on March 12, 1835. Read more about the Wilmots.
The premises at 107 Redcliffe Street was owned by Henry and George Vallance in the directories for 1856. Daniel Sykes and Co. owned the brewery some time before May, 1875. As noted in the The Journal of the Keynsham & Saltford Local History Society, in 1885, he took out fire insurance on the brewery, the policy had a note saying that "No brewing done or Pipe Store used therein." Perhaps the brewery had lain idle for a time? The brewery was still registered in March 1889, by Daniel Sykes & Co. Daniel Sykes was the first president of the Lawfords Gate Licensed Victualler's Society when it was formed in November 1882. Redcliffe Brewery merged with Bristol United Breweries Ltd. in 1897 and closed the following year, in 1898.
In the Kelly's directory of 1883 was listed as being owned by Bishop & Butt Ltd. One of the breweries that were amalgamated in 1888 to form Bristol United Breweries.
Redcross Brewery, Lawford Street
No information yet on this brewery.
M. Reynolds & Company
One of the breweries that were amalgamated in 1888 to form Bristol United Breweries.
Lewis Richard & Co., Railway Arches, Bath Bridge
No information yet on this brewery.
Jacob Wilcox Ricketts
See Porter and Strong Beer Brewery.
Robinson & Co.
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as being at St. Johns Bridge.
William John Rogers, Jacob Street Brewery
The brewery was founded in 1845 in premises in Jacob Street, Old Market. It was listed in the Kelly's Directory of 1883. It was registered July 1894 with 25 tied houses. It was acquired by H. & G. Simonds Ltd of Reading in 1935 and ceased brewing in 1952.
Roger's Brewery around 1889 showing the "double -drop" system of fermentation.
The beer is first fermented in the upper tuns for 12 to 16 hours then dropped into the pontos below to continue fermentation.
Image from Zythophile
Alfred Barnard in his "Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland" published between 1889 and 1891 said that...
On either side of this extensive room, which is upwards of 50 feet high, are long galleries supported by iron columns containing a most impressive collection of fermenting vessels. They are 18 feet wide, and contain … ten fermenting rounds of large capacity, constructed of English oak … Placed on the floor of the tun room, beneath the galleries, there are to be seen a similar number of cleansing squares, each measuring 20 feet by 12 feet, which are used for receiving the partially fermented liquor from the "rounds" above. They are all fitted with powerful attemperators and copper parachutes, also a skimming apparatus for taking the yeasty head off the beer simultaneously and driving it into the parachutes.
Royal York Cresent Brewery, Clifton
A early 19th century trade card gives the owners as Carter & Brown.
St. Michaels Brewery, St Michaels Hill
Listed in the Kelly's Directory of 1883 as being owned by the Gibbings Brothers.
St. Pauls Brewery, Victoria Street
In the Kelly's directory of 1883 were listed as being owned by Bowley & Bristow, Victoria and Bishop Streets. One of the breweries that were amalgamated in 1888 to form Bristol United Breweries
Thomas Salt & Co.
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as being at 16, Small Street.
George & Thomas Spencer
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as owning a brewery at Temple Gate.
Daniel Sykes & Co., Redcliffe Brewery, 107 Recliffe Street
Established 1753, the brewery was registered March 1889. Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory. It merged with Bristol United Breweries Ltd. in 1897 and closed in 1898.
Trout Brewery, Cherry Street
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as being owned by James Milford.
Tucker Street Brewery, St. Thomas's
See Georges & Co. Ltd. and James Grimes
James & Thomas Usher, Horfield Road and New City Brewery, River Street, St. Judes
Formed in 1856 and registered in March 1889. The Horfield Road address was listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory which also listed a stores address at Long Row, Thomas Street. This address is sometimes listed as being in Victoria Street. It merged with Bristol United Breweries Ltd. in 1897 and closed in 1898. These breweries get a bit confusing! The Bristol and Gloucestershire Brewery Archive say a new brewery was built on the Horfield Road site in 1901, which was taken over by W. J. Rogers Ltd. in 1922 with about 22 licensed houses. The brew plant was offered for sale in February 1923.
Henry and George Vallance, 107 Redcliffe Street
In operation in 1856 but no other information yet on this brewery.
E. W. Ward, Montague Place, Kingsdown
Listed in the 1883 Kelly's Directory as Ward & Hewett.
W. Whitbread, 17 Victoria Street, St Pauls
In operation in 1856 but no other information yet on this brewery.
Walter Williams
An early 19th century trade card gives him as the owner of the Lawrence Hill Brewery.
An early 19th century tradecard for Walter Williams' Lawrence Hill Brewery
Image from Bristol Trade Cards by John Winstone, Reece Winstone Publishing, 1993
