HF40/1/3/36

Original Bundle of correspondence regarding sale of Biggleswade Brewery

1897 - 1899 (reciting 1835, 1857, 1873)

From: 1835 To: 1899

including:- Letter, Walter J Tyler J.P., The Woodlands, Welling, Kent to Hooper and Company he and others interested in purchasing a brewery like one Hooper advertised; requests further information under various headings 18 Dec 1897 Letter, Thomas etc. pressing for date of sale 23 Dec 1897 Letter, Joint General Manager, Capital and Counties Bank to T J Hooper not prepared for £3000 for the bank, pay rent of £120 per annum 30 Dec 1897 Letter, Charles Powers and Company to T J Hooper land at Wilstead deeds deposited as security for account C Powers and Company to receive the rent £5..15s per annum. Widow Cole dead. And 2 cottages and land, Blunham sold by O J Triplow’s devisees 27 March 1896 to John Goodship of Gwyn Street, Bedford for £265 abutting S. Drill Hall E. coach house occupied by Ferguson W. good sized yard occupied by Ferguson And Cricketers Arms, Hitchin, now Victoria 3 Jan 1898 Letter, H Clutton 9 Whitehall Place, Hitchin to Hooper and Company admission of R H and C S Lindsell 20 October 1857 [Manor of Hitchin] 5 Jan 1898 Letter, Benning and Son, Town Clerk’s Office, Dunstable admission to Sow and Pigs, Toddington 1835 on sale by trustees of Wells to Hogg and Lindsell paid every year quit since heriot £15 paid at the time 5 Jan 1898 Letter, Joint General Manager, Capital and Counties Bank to Hooper Notes £3000 the price – suggests “matter stand as they are” 7 Jan 1898 Letter, M Sharman 6 St Paul’s Square, Bedford to Hooper and Company won’t make allowance over admission to manor of Potton Rectoria if client “a poor man” might perhaps have done so 15 Jan 1898 Letter, Butler and Wilkinson to Hooper and Company about to hand over rolls to new Steward of Manor of Eynesbury, Berkeleys admission 16 December 1873 22 Jan 1898 Letter, E K and E H Fordham of Ashwell Brewery near Baldock requesting particulars 24 Jan 1898 Letter, Frederick Archdale, Woodlands Bassett, Southampton to Hooper had to pay sisters £14,000 viz:- Mrs Beauford £2000 Mrs John Lindsell £2000 Mrs Douton £2000 Miss Hogge £4000 Mrs Creswell £4000 made 1862-1872 under father’s will hopes Bournemouth has done him good 24 Jan 1898 Letter, Frederick Archdale to T J Hooper no box of deeds at the bank now, if had been admitted would have put in “Brewery Box”. “It seems an infamous thing to make a trustee pay £1593 when the loss to the estate is only £349 and that is called equity. wants £400 from purchaser of the Essex farm 3 Feb 1898 Letter, Archdale to Hooper encloses Daniel Albone’s lease not consulted a) re date of sale b) leaving purchase money on 4% mortgage if property should sell still wants £400 for Essex farm 8 Feb 1898 Letter, Joint General Manager, Capital and Counties Bank to T J Hooper complaining about apparent intention to sell premises without coming to terms with them as tenants 9 Feb 1898 Letter, Capital and Counties Bank to T J Hooper willing to let Brewery Offices to a purchaser 15 Feb 1890 Letter, Frederick Archdale to T Hooper thinks reserve £3000 too high, be put down to £140,000 – Lindsell did not agree 15 Feb 1898 Letter, Frederick Archdale to T Hooper thinks £135,000 fair – stock etc. should raise another £12,000 if stock of malt, hops, liquours and beer are included. lots of snow and cold NE. wind 22 Feb 1898 Letter, A Thomas and Company to Hooper and Company E Fordham said you had quoted £140, 000 not prepared to give. £130,000 his maximum – no use offering that price 22 Feb 1898 Letter, H E Warner of 21 Great Winchester Street, London Clients might assist if clients willing to form a company and take the bulk of the purchase money in shares, our clients would assist in placing debentures and possible preference shares. “Of course sale on the ordinary lines is no doubt out of the question having regard to the profits in the past not being satisfactory” and attempted sale being abortive. Some scheme might possibly be arranged for introducing capital on debentures and bringing the management more up to date. 25 Feb 1898 Letter E K and E H Fordham, Ashwell Brewery to Hooper and Company offer £125,000 for the brewery 28 Feb 1898 Thomas etc. to Hooper astonished at it – critical of allowing them 1st refusal 1 Mar 1898 Thomas to Hooper re Atkins and Company, commission agents, who have certain purchaser ask for liberal commission. Little belief in business resulting in that or kindred quarters. “they always commence with a certain purchaser and then require to know past profits and a vast amount of other detailed information.” Assume past profits will not be disclosed 11 Mar 1898 A Thomas etc. to Hooper and Company somewhat dangerous to declare profits without access to the books as future opportunities given for misrepresentation and compensation, “some surprise that the profits should be as much as stated” 14 May 1898 W W Hay of 35 Walbrook, London to Hooper and Company wants detailed particulars – cannot get them “I know of more than one private buyer” 15 Mar 1898 Letter, Grove Johnson, Wordsley Brewery, Stourbridge, Staffordshire to Wells and Company applying to be manager if continue the business 24 Mar 1898 Printed letter re Grove Johnson (father Brewer at Canterbury) Letter, A Thomas to Hooper further attempt by Peyer to induce Fordhams to buy – upped to £130,000- “a good price” 24 Mar 1898 Further letters re this and offer? of £133,000 from “Talbot” and also one from an Arthur F Pope of 11, 12, 13, 14 Barton House, Deansgate, Manchester acting for Agnew one of Picture family, leading company promoter, would like Chatteris Brewery sold by Lindsell at the same time. “figures not very brilliant” Mar 1898 Letter Thomas to Hooper Principal supposed to pay deposit at 12.45. no one turned up 29 Mar 1898 Letter W W Hay to Hooper and Company again requesting details of profits.. “friend” thinks some mistake as to price “as a brewery with such sales would not fetch the price” unless exceptional circumstances. 29 Mar 1898 Letter, Thomas to Hooper very remote concluding contract with those offering £133,000 – try Fordham’s £130,000 2 Apr 1898 Letter, Arthur Pope will accept ½% Commission if business considers 1% little enough 4 Apr 1898 Same to Same “I don’t think there will be much margin for anybody to make very much out of the business” 13 Apr 1898 W W Hay to Hooper got prospective buyer, will meet J W Houldsworth of 7 Fenchurch Avenue whose solicitors acting for syndicate as well as buyer stick to £14,000 and you will get it wants 1% commission on anything under £140,000 14 Apr 1898 Thomas etc. to Hooper strongly recommends take first acceptable offer 14 Apr 1898 W H Talbot, mortgage and insurance broker of Cheapside to Thomas etc. £133,000 to be paid £20,000 debentures £53,000 cash £60,000 ordinary shares clients seat on board Capital not to exceed £17,000 15 Apr 1898 Letter, J Dunham Massey of 8 Princes Street, Bank, London to Hooper O J T Gibson strongly recommended him to buy the Biggleswade Brewery 15 Apr 1898 Accompanying letter from O J T Gibson, same address to Hooper had a great deal of trouble over the Brewery sale. “My desire was to do the best for my old friends and dear old Biggleswade generally” “as an entire and expert brewer....” 14 Apr 1898 In bundle many references to numerous firms enquiring re Brewery –not all listed 18 Dec – 15 Apr 1898

1 bundle

item

Hooper & Fletcher,
Wells & Co,
Tyler, Walter J,
Hooper & Company,
Capital & Counties Bank Limited,
Hooper, T J,
Charles Powers and Co.,
Cole,
Triplow, Oscar John,
Goodship, John,
Ferguson,
Clutton, H,
Lindsell, Robert Henry,
Lindsell, Charles Samuel,
Benning & Sons,
Hogg & Lindsell,
Sharman, M.,
Fordham, E.K.& H. Limited,
Archdale, Frederick,
Beauford,
Lindsell, John,
Douton, Anna Allen,
Hogge,
Creswell,
Biggleswade Bank,
Albone, Daniel,
Warner, H E,
Atkins & Company,
Hay, W W,
Johnson, Grove,
Talbot,
Pope, Arthur F,
Agnew,
Picture,
Davis (d),
Houldsworth, J W,
Talbot, W.H.,
Dunham Massey, J,
Gibson, O J T

Hooper & Fletcher, breweries, BIGGLESWADE, Wells & Company, Biggleswade Brewery, business correspondence, business, private buildings & land, AUCTION SALES, specific justices of the peace, Kent, Hooper & Company, general manager, Capital and Counties Bank Limited, valuations, banks, rentals, buildings and land use, Wilstead, WILSHAMSTEAD, BLUNHAM, cottages, HOUSING, Bedford Gwyn Street, coach house, Hitchin Cricketers, Hitchin Victoria, Hitchin inns, Hitchin, Manor of Hitchin, Town Clerk, DUNSTABLE, Toddington Sow & Pigs, Toddington inns, TODDINGTON, Hogg & Lindsell, heriot, Bedford St.Paul's Square, Manor of Potton Rectoria, Butler & Wilkinson, court rolls, Manor of Eynesbury Berkeleys, E.K.& H.Limited Fordham, Ashwell Brewery, FAMILY, wills, money, Biggleswade Bank, DEEDS, trustees, Essex farms, offices, stock details, City of London Great Winchester Street, shares, management, commission agent, business accounts, City of London Walbrook, Wordsley Brewery, employment, brewery manager, brewer, Canterbury, Manchester Deansgate, Chatteris Brewery, fees/charges, City of London Fenchurch Avenue, mortgage broker, City of London Cheapside, City of London Princes Street, Bank