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Reference
GK
Title
Greene King (Biggleswade) Archive
Creator
Green King (Biggleswade)
Admin/biog history
In 1961 Wells and Winch Limited of the Brewery, Biggleswade were amalgamated with Greene King Brewery of Westgate Street, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk (see CRT130Biggleswade23). The GK collection contains the deeds of Wells and Winch Limited and its various predecessors Wells of Biggleswade, Weston (for a short time Weston and Powers) of Biggleswade, Newland and Nash of Bedford, Higgins of Bedford, the Henlow Brewery and the Baldock Brewery. Using GK deeds; deeds deposited by Wells and Companys solicitors Messrs. Hooper and Fletcher, and the Court Books of the Manor of Biggleswade (HF and X338) it is possible to trace the history of the Biggleswade Brewery and chart the gradual expansion of its property. The details of the latter are given in the Appendix to the Introduction. Wells and Company of Biggleswade: 1) Samuel Wells I (? - 1781) The site of the Brewery was bought in 1764 by Samuel Wells I, already a brewer, with 400 borrowed from Ter Marcia Luke of Biggleswade spinster. The site then comprised the 'King's Arms' (later the site of the Biggleswade Bank) and on the north of Brewery Lane a backyard 'with all barns on it and where a messuage formerly stood'. The wrapping paper used for covering the deeds of the freehold parts of the property show that the site contained in 1764 'A House, Brewhouse and Malting'. It is probable that among the five barns mentioned in the earliest deed (of 1686 GK 1 and HF) were included the Brewhouse and the Malting that would have been needed to supply the 'King's Arms' with Beer. Samuel Wells I is a somewhat shadowy figure. [Note * For Sam Wells's wife, see the will of her uncle William King of Caxton1753 (ref: W 905)] Exhaustive searches in Bedfordshire Parish Registers and Biggleswade Manor Court Books has failed to reveal where he came from. On 30 March 1749 he was appointed as a Fen Reeve of the Manor Court of Biggleswade. Hertfordshire Quarter Sessions Books Vol. VII page 437 mentions a Samuel Wells of Radwell and Norton, close to the Bedfordshire Border, being a Gamekeeper to Catherine Pym in 1733. By 1740 he had been replaced by Samuel Matthews. Catherine Pym's son William married Elizabeth Kingsley of Hassells,Sandy in October 1748 and Samuel Wells could possible have accompanied him. Unfortunately the Pym account books are insufficiently detailed to be sure on this point. Before he came to Biggleswade, he had married Elizabeth - but not in either Bedfordshire or Hertfordshire, as both marriage indexes have been checked without success. He had the following children Mary (baptism date unknown, married Thomas Green of Ampthill 29 September 1763), Martha (baptised 20 June 1753, married William Race of Biggleswade, from whom descended a well known Biggleswade family, 9 October 1777). After his arrival in Biggleswade he had Elizabeth, baptised 21 November 1749 and buried 6 December 1749, both at Biggleswade, Elizabeth, baptised 3 May 1751, married Thomas Gardener 28 September 1769, SAMUEL II, baptised 21 March 1755, (see below), a still born child, buried 7 October 1761, John, buried 29 April 1762, William, buried 11 June 1762, Thomas, baptised 10 March 1764 and buried 7 October 1764 both at Biggleswade. In 1764 Samuel Wells was really little more than an innholder supplying his own inn with beer. By 1782 he had added four public houses and a house in Shortmead Street to the King's Arms site. The King's Arms he had turned into offices for his fledgling brewery. Most inns in Biggleswade would have brewed their own beer still and as many as nine maltings in the centre of Biggleswade were burnt down in the Great Fire of Biggleswade of 16 June 1785. Samuel Wells I died in 1781 and was buried at Biggleswade. His wife died soon afterwards and was buried 10 Febuary 1782 also at Biggleswade. Neither of their tombstones appear to survive. Samuel Wells II was to be admitted to a 'half share of the trade of Brewer' at the age of twenty five and to the other half on his mother's death, according to his father's will (PBW P/W 1782/72). In fact Samuel II very soon became sole owner of the Brewery, as his mother had died so soon after his father. His two sisters Mary and Elizabeth were left 100 each. His other two sisters Martha and Ann each received 50. Wells and Company of Biggleswade: 2) Samuel Wells II (1755 - 1831) On 17 January 1784 Samuel Wells II married Frances Hankin, daughter of Thomas and Martha Hankin of Potton (she was baptised there 8 January 1763). Through his wife's family Samuel Wells built up a small copyhold estate in Potton. The chief of these was the White Swan Inn (Hooper and Fletcher). William Hankin, plumber and glazier, later described as 'gentleman' was admitted to a third of the property 3 December 1760. In 1769 and 1771 he gained possession of the other two thirds. On his death in c.1782 the property passed to Thomas Hankin, his nephew (father of Frances) sometime of Potton then of Elsworth, Cambridgshire, gentleman who died before 1785. Samuel Wells, as the guardian of Thomas P. Hankin later of City of London (aged 20) was admitted 3 June 1785. Hankin surrendered the property to Wells adsolutely on 25 April 1787. Biggleswade at this time was prominent as a stopping place along the Great North Road. Hon. John Byng, the author of the Torrington Diaries, stopped there frequently between 1789-1794. Samuel Wells exploited this to the full, increasing his public houses and inns in the town from four in 1784 to twelve in 1831. He also set up the Biggleswade Bank and gained an extensive stake in the residential property of the town. Many of his rivals were hit by the Great Fire of Biggleswade of 16 June 1785. AD4001/1, a book of newspaper cuttings, contains two extracts from the 'Northampton Mercury' on the fire. The first extract is from the issue of 18 June 1785 and states that 'the fire broke out in the house next door to a Capital Inn' - probably the 'Crown Brick Shops' (see HF) and that 'a quarter of the town was destroyed' A more detailed letter from a a local inhabitant appeared in the issue of 24 June 1785. 'The fire started in the Crown Inn and was caused by a girl throwing some hot ashes on some straw where people had been unpacking earthenware, which soon catched a thatched house, and spread itself almost instantly to others. Over 120 dwelling houses were destroyed including nine malt houses. A large space of ground to the amount of many acres, which in the morning was nearly covered with buildings, now exhibits a melancholy picture of ruins, not a house left within that space, except those of Mr. Bryant and French, which miraculously escaped the flames'. Samuel Wells was lucky, as so far as can be discovered from the Manorial Court Books, none of his properties were affected. The 'King's Arms' was demolished and replaced by the Biggleswade Bank in between 1782-1831 but there is no evidence it was burnt down. It was probably demolished because of the difficulty of converting an old inn into a Bank. Nearly a third of the total loss of 22,500, caused by the Fire was not covered by insurance. This particularly hit holders of copyhold buildings, whose value lay in the buildings erected on the sites rather than in the sites themselves. Some of these copyholders were forced to sell. Samuel Wells in partnership with Denis Herbert bought up the sites of three former inns or public houses. Denis Herbert, described as 'a gentleman', owned the Setch Brewery at King's Lynn, Norfolk and almost certainly a wine and spirit business in Biggleswade. He features prominently in the Toll Account Books of the Ivel Navigation 1767 onwards. He gained a large copyhold estate in Biggleswade on his own account. On his death 1803, his elder son Cornelius Pateman Herbert went back to Norfolk, probably to run the Setch Brewery with George Hogg (see below). By 1839 George Hogge junior was running the Setch Brewery without Herbert. The younger son Nathaniel was a Wine and Spirit Merchant in Stratton Street, Biggleswade. The two sons surrendered their joint half interest to Samuel Wells on 1 and 2 May 1810. Samuel Wells bought up a considerable amount of residential property and took every opportunity he could of extending the Brewery site itself. For the first time the Brewery began to buy up properties outside Biggleswade. By 1831 Samuel Wells has increased the number of inns/public houses from four to forty six. (No less than eighteen of these lay outside Biggleswade). He was founder of Biggleswade Harriers. Samuel Wells II greatly extended investment by the business of capital in loans secured by mortgages. The Biggleswade Manor Court Books would yield useful information on this. One example will have to suffice. On 17 May 1780 Samuel Wells I lent Thomas Ventiman 160, secured by a mortgage deed. By 1811 the debt had been increased to 554 by Ann Ventiman's daughter, the wife of John Goodman. The property then reverted to Samuel Wells II absolutely. This informal loaning of money became formalised when Samuel Wells set up the Biggleswade Bank on the site of the old 'King's Arms' probably c.1810 (30/11/132/80), 1823 'Williamson and Wells Bank' is listed under 'Bankers' in the Commercial Directory of that date. In 1839 it is listed as 'drawing on' Barnett, Hoare and Company Limited of London. Samuel II and Frances Wells had two children, Frances born 30 September 1785 (baptised 19 October at Biggleswade) and Elizabeth born 23 September 1787 (baptised 7 October at Biggleswade). These daughters married into important local business families. Frances married on 11 June 1816 Robert Burton Lindsell, local solicitor and Elizabeth married William Hogg. He also had one son Thomas Pratt Wells (baptised 19 June 1793, at Biggleswade, died 5 July 1835). The Lindsell Family The Lindsells originally came from Baberham, Cambridgeshire. 'The Bletchley Diary of Rev. William Cole 1765-1767' mentions that on 11 August 1767 'met in the Town my old Acquaintance and Townsmen, Mr John Lindsell, son to Mr John Lindsell, a farmer in Baberham in Cambridgeshire, he is settled as a Corn Merchant at Biggleswade'. A William Lindsell probably a son of John Lindsell II was described as 'Miller' on the baptism of his son William (baptised 20 July 1759). Another child Sarah was baptised at Biggleswade 28 August 1765. William I ran the Biggleswade Mill (HF and Biggleswade Manorial Court Books). On his death in 1790 he left three children surviving him. John of St Ives: William of St Ives (baptised 1759) and Mary wife of Edward Gregory of Biggleswade, surgeon. (PBwP 1790/83). Mary's health was so bad that she was not expected to live long after her father's death. John Lindsell was listed in the 1823 Commercial Directory as a Corn Merchant, but was established at least by 1799 Hunts. C.R.O. deed ref. 49/22/3. He was born c.1755 and was buried at St Ives in April 1834 aged 79 and Margaret his wife died there on 7 February 1853 aged 92. Two other Lindsells Thomas, died 25 February 1854 aged 69 and Margaret Lindsell died 18 August 1867 aged 85 years were probably his son and his son's wife. (From information supplied by the Huntingdon Branch of the Cambridgeshire County Record Office). It is probable that John had three further sons William, solicitor, firstly of Huntingdon and later Southampton, Robert Burton Lindsell (who married Frances Wells) (born St Ives, 1790) and Rev. Edward Lindsell (born 1793 at St Ives) who later became Vicar of Southill and married Elizabeth Barber (born 1797 at Potton), the heiress of the Brome Hall estate at Southill (HF). I think it likely that John rather than William was the father of these three brothers as the Huntingdon deed referred to above shows that John Lindsell lent 20,000 to Robert Burton, who was so heavily encumbered that he had to sell most of his property. What more natural than John Lindsell should loan the money to his father in law and perpetuate his memory in the name of his son? Hogg Family The Hogg family came from King's Lynn in Norfolk. George Hogg, who was a brewer and possibly a partner of Denis Herbert and his sons, had at least four sons: George Hogg junior (1839 ran the Setch Brewery), Rev. Martin, whose daughter Emma married Robert Henry Lindsell, son of Robert Burton Lindsell (see above), Frederick, miller of Girtford (his illegitimate son Frederick Safford figures prominently in HF) and owner of Sandy Brickworks and William Hogg who married Eliza Wells, younger daughter of Samuel Wells II. In the 1823 Commercial Directory William Hogg is listed as a Wine and Spirit Merchant and dealer in sea coal, bar iron and timber of Shortmead Street and clearly was trading up and down the Ouse to King's Lynn. Will of Samuel Wells II - and running of Wells and Company by Hogg, Archdale and Lindsell families. Samuel Wells II will, proved P.C.C. 1831, made his two sons in law William Hogg and Robert Lindsell Trustees for sale of his property. The freehold GK 0/1 and copyhold (X 338/13 page 76). The two brothers in law sold almost all of it to their two brothers Frederick Hogg of Girtford and William Lindsell of Huntingdon for 42,000 on 1 November 1834. It appears that this was in fact a collusive family arrangement, as despite the fact that the Brewery site was included in the sale of 1834, it was the two sons in law of Samuel Wells II who continued the business as Wells and Company and not their two brothers. All the Biggleswade properties, for instance described as conveyed in the sale of 1834 were listed in the 1838 Tithe Award (AT 5/1) as belonging to Robert Lindsell and William Hogg and not to their two brothers. In 1840 when the firm bought the Barley Mow, Eaton Ford Robert Lindsell and William Hogg were describer as Brewers and Co-partners. William Lindsell and Frederick Hogg were probably in the same position as modern debenture holders and the 1834 sale can be best seen as providing security for their invested capital. On 1 December 1860, all the freehold but not the copyhold land were conveyed by Frederick Hogg and William Lindsell to the sons of Robert Lindsell and William Hogg (who by that date were both dead) 'for divers good reasons and considerations' but not for a specific sum of money. The copyhold remained in their hands or those of their executors till the Brewery was sold to George Winch in 1899. The executors Charles Lindsell and Charles Race did not even bother to have the copyhold transferred to their own names until 1892, fourteen years after the death of Frederick Hogg (d. 1878). (William Lindsell had died in 1861). Robert Lindsell and William Hogg dramatically increased the number of public houses owned by and hence supplied by the Brewery. In 1831 the Brewery owned forty six public houses, by the death of Robert Burton Lindsell in 1856 it owned seventy two [a minumum figure] public houses or inns, including one large group from John Hill Day of Priory Brewery, St Neots in 1840. (This Brewery was finally taken over by Wells and Winch Limited in 1920). William Hogg and Robert Lindsell also extended sites of existing properties including the Brewery and continued to purchase cottages. Hogg who among his other many activities in Biggleswade also appears to have had a Bank which amalgamated with Wells and Company to form Hogg, Wells and Company by 1830. Later it reverted to being Wells and Company. Robert Burton Lindsell died on 30 September 1856. Sometime before 1838 he bought Fairfield House and set up as a considerable local landowner. By 1842 he was a Justice of the Peace, attending Quarter Sessions fairly regularly. He was vice chairman of the Biggleswade Board of Guardians of the Poor, probably from 1834 to his death. William Hogg, his partner, also was a guardian but never got on to the Bench. He probably concentrated on his many financial interests. He died in 1862. The death of the two partners within a short time of each other meant the appointment of three new partners at a comparatively young age. Frederick Hogge son of William, baptised 1827, represented the Hogge family. He married firstly Ann Georgiana Drew in 1854; secondly in 1859 Emily Katherine Le Strange Harriet Eliza Fitzroy, a distant relation of the Dukes of Grafton in whose right in 1901 on the death of his former mother in law he inherited a considerable fortune. In 1873 he married Fanny St Quintin of Harrold, a member of a well known family who originally came from Cockayne Hatley and noted for its Evangelicalism. She died in 1890. In 1866 he changed his name from Hogge (his father had added the extra 'e') to Archdale. He was an active partner in the business. A.W. Watkin in 'True Tales of old Biggleswade' page 9 wrote 'Mr F. Hogge rode from Baldock to Biggleswade every morning on a horse. So much so that his hooves wore a track in the grass verge on the roadside of the Great North Road, and was called Hogge's track'. He retired in 1895 to live at Woodlands, near Southampton. He died in 1903. Robert Lindsell's two sons: Robert Henry (baptised 25 September 1818) and Charles Samuel (born 24 January 1825) became the other two partners. Robert Henry married the daughter of Rev. Martin Hogg. He succceeded to the Fairfield House estate in 1856 on his father's death. He became a J.P. 1857 and was a member of the Visiting Committee of The Three Counties Lunatic Asylum, Stotfold 1860-1891, being its Chairman 1869 to 1891. Charles Samuel Lindsell lived at Holme in Biggleswade from c.1868. He was a Justice of the Peace from 1866 onwards and a Deputy Lieutenant. He was master of the Cambridgeshire Hounds 1870-1888. He was both chairman of the Board of Guardians for Biggleswade and of Biggleswade Urban District Council. For seventeen years he was chairman of the Bedfordshire County Council Highway Committe. (Contemporary Biographies at opening of 20th century and Bedford Who's Who 1909). These three capable young partners initiated a further expansion of the number of 'tied' houses owned by the Brewery. In 1856 on the death of R.B. Lindsell they had owned forty eight tied houses. By 1898 these had risen to one hundred freehold or copyhold properties and nine leased. This vast expansion had come about despite a determined teetotal campaign in Biggleswade led by the Salvation Army in 1876, which led to the closure of some public houses. This was commemorated in a comtemporary poem:- The 'Steamer' has been sunk The 'Black Horse' done a bunk The 'Ivel' has gone private Which the 'Ongley Arms' connived at The 'Hole in the Wall' is bricked out The 'Horse and Jockey' kicked out The 'Anchor' sunk to the bottom The 'Woolpack' quite forgotten And the Teetotes of the Town Have seen these pubs shut down. In 1822 there were 24 pubs in Biggleswade. In 1876 there were 59 pubs in Biggleswade. In 1891 there were 50 pubs in Biggleswade. The Brewery was especially keen to exploit the large potential market provided by the coming of the railways. In 1850 the Great Northern Railway reached Biggleswade and in 1862 the Bedford to Cambridge Railway was completed. In 1863 Wells and Company bought the Railway Inn, Blunham and the Railway Tavern, Biggleswade, 1884. In 1891 R.H. Lindsell died and was replaced as Director by two of his sons Arthur Knox Lindsell (1851 - ?) and Henry Martin Lindsell (born 7 May 1846, died 30 March 1925). Of these Henry Martin Lindsell was too busy first as a Barrister (called to the Bar in 1874) and then as Assistant Secretary to Board of Education 1900-1903 and Principal Assistant Secretary after 1903, to play an active roll in the running of the Brewery. Arthur Knox Lindsell seems to have specialised in Banking. In 1894 the Bank was sold to the Capital and Counties Bank with Arthur Knox Lindsell being granted a directorship. He moved eventually to Sussex where he continued his career in Banking. The Brewery was thus left in the effective control of Frederick Archdale and C.S. Lindsell. In 1895 Frederick Archdale moved to Woodland Bassett in Hampshire. He did not put one of his family in the business and so Charles Samuel Lindsell was thus left in sole charge of the day to day running of the Brewery. As it seemed unlikely that any of the Archdale or R.H. Lindsell children would be interested in it (R.H. Lindsell's three youngest sons never seem to have been involved in the Brewery), it was decided to put the Brewery up for auction in 1898. (The correspondence re the sale is found in HF). George Winch a solicitor of Chatham, Kent, wished to buy a Brewery for his son Edward Bluett Winch and decided to purchase the Biggleswade Brewery for 155,000. C.S. Lindsell and George Fitzroy Archdale (son of Frederick) were retained as Directors. George Winch of Chatham, Chairman of Directors and E.B. Winch and Oscar Benwell, both Managing Directors made up the Board (GK 1/32). The Trustees for theDebenture Stock were Charles Thomas Lindsell, then of Holme Grove, Biggleswade, who after his father's death in 1909 moved to Turvey, and Richard Winch of The Stock Exchange, London. By 1909 C.T. Lindsell was a member of the firm but probably dropped out after his move to Turvey. E.B. Winch moved at once to Stratton House, Biggleswade to be near the Brewery. The new Board completely demolished the old Brewey and built a modern one on the same site. The new brewing plant was installed by George Adlam and Sons, Boiler makers of Bristol and the electricity was done by Geipel and Lange of Parliament Mansions, Westminster, electric light contractors. The whole was probably completed by 1903 and included new offices in the High Steet, Biggleswade (GK 1/33). In 1902 the Henlow Brewery was purchased from Trustees of Edwards Estate for 9000 which included the Brewery, eight freehold and two short leasehold properties. These are listed in GK 1/36 and include yet one more Biggleswade beerhouse: the 'Golden Lion', The Brewery was also contracted to buy a further beerhouse at Beeston Cross in Sandy for 1200. (GK 1/33). In 1904 Wells and Winch purchased the larger Baldock Brewery with twenty two public houses including three London houses. To these were added Days and Sons of St Neots (1920) (who had been selling to Hogg and Lindsell as early as 1840), Page and Ashwell, Newland and Nash of Bedford (1922) and Higgins Limited of Bedford. (Separate accounts of the two Bedford Breweries will be found at the end of this Introduction). Hudsons Cambridge and Pampisford Breweries Limited were added 1931 (some deeds survive in HF) and E. and H. Wickham of Hertford 1938 and Barclay Perkins Limited of Cambridge (ref: Greene King (Biggleswade) Limited - 'A Short History of Biggleswade Brewery'). In 1961 Wells and Winch Limited was merged with Greene King and Sons and in 1963 the name of the Company was changed to Greene King (Biggleswade).
Archival history
Accession numbers: 3092, 3949, 4065, 4103, 4539, 4561, 4579, 4589, 4661, 4679, 5117, 5140, 5223, 5447, 6864, 6890, 8053
Level of description
fonds