Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue

Select

Reference
WL1-97
Title
Horne Lane Brewery
Date free text
1722-1875
Production date
From: 1722 To: 1875
Admin/biog history
Site of the brewery The site of what is now the brewery was, in the early 18th century, largely in the hands of the Battisons, a leading Bedford family of coal merchants, riverside sites being in demand for the coal-trade after the opening of the river to navigation. It is curious that the first two documents reveal a Wells connected with the neighbourhood at this time. This Wells disappears from sight almost at once, as in 1744 the cottage which while alive he had occupied was bought (no.9) by Robert Battison, son of Thomas Battison. Robert Battison married Laetitia Durham, and inherited from his mother-in-law two other cottages in Horne Lane (no.5). He left no children, and the property eventually passed to his sisters, Mary Cawne and Elizabeth Gregory. It included a malthouse to let John Palmer (no.14), while the messuage and wharf which he himself had occupied were apparently let, after his death, to William Theed, coal merchant. This malthouse occupied by John Palmer is the first indication we get of maltmaking in the neighbourhood; in 1762 it was said that there was a malthouse, malt-kiln, cistern and chambers. Both Robert Battison's former messuage and wharf, and the malthouse, were sold in 1762 to the occupying maltster, John Palmer (nos. 24-28); but he resold the messuage and wharf to the coal merchant, William Theed (nos. 32-33) The death of Robert Battison's widow, Laetitia, brought into the market a further portion of Battison property which had been part of her marriage settlement (nos. 37-38), and this was bought by another coal merchant, William Watkins. He was already established nearby, sharing Joseph Barnard a close and 9 cottages near Battison's Ford (no. 39). In 1789 and 1792 Watkins bought up most of what had been Battison property (nos. 37-38, 40-41, 44-47), and in 1798 the cottages and close which he shared with Barnard were divided between them (nos. 48-49). William Watkins was dead by 1811 (no. 50), and in 1818 the property was bought by Stephen Benson. Though Stephen Benson is in 1818 described as a woolstapler, it was he who built the brewhouse before 1836 (nos. 61-62, 70), and pulled down the cottages. In 1836 the property passed to William Johnstone, a brewer from Bishop's Stortford, and Charles Redden, a draper from Newport Pagnell, who seem to have been acting for their respective sons, W.J. Johnstone and F. Redden. These latter built the Harpur Arms public house (no. 71). W. J. Johnstone apparently died in 1848, leaving his interest to his father, who conveyed it to Redden. Redden himself died soon afterwards, leaving a widow (no. 69). In 1851 Redden's widow sold her interest to J.A. Piggot and H.C. Wells, formerly of Chelmsford (no. 71), but Piggot bought out Wells in 1862. Piggot carried on until 1875, when the firm was put up for sale (no. 73), described as having been 'for many years successfully conducted' by him. It was then bought by Charles Wells. At this time the premises are described as follows: a malthouse, residence, garden and paddock of nearly 2 acres; brewery buildings comprising a loading-out store, vat or beer store with loft over, yeast room, tun room and brewhouse with lean-to sheds adjoining and mill track at end, with mill room over, and the space occupied by the brweing plant (a 5-quarter mash tun; iron liquor hop and under backs, coolers, refrigerator, working tuns, pumps, pipes and cocks; horsewheel, machinery and gear). Public-houses At the time of the purchase by Charles Wells there were 35 public-houses 11 in Bedford (of which 6 were freehold), 20 in the county, 1 in Northants. and 3 in Bucks. About half of these are accounted for by the extant deeds in the collection; and information about the others is given by the abstracts of title (nos. 77-79). They had been acquired as follows. Johnstone and Redden bought the White Horse at Keysoe in 1840 (no. 99); the Blue Boar, afterwards the Gardeners' Arms, Bedford, in 1841 (no. 117); an unnamed public-house at Marston apparently in 1844 (no. 120); the Black Horse at Kempston by 1846 (no. 121); the Fox and Hounds at Clapham in the Golden Pheasant, copyhold, at Biggleswade in 1849 (no. 150); and the Plough at Cranfield (copyhold), at apparently about the same time (no. 159). The Sir John Barleycorn in Well Street, Bedford, was also acquired before 1851 (no. 78). Piggot and Wells bought the Star at Clapham in 1851 (no. 86); the Royal Oak at Lidlington in 1853 (no. 170); the leasehold of the Brickground at Arlesey in 1854 (freehold acquired later; nos. 179-80); the Fleur-de-lis in Bedford in 1855 (no. 216); the Two Brewers at Clifton, the Nag's Head at Greenfield, and the Red Lion at Salford in 1858 (nos. 87-88). Piggot bought a public-house in Water Lane (? the Bell - cf. 89) Kempston in 1865 (no.236); the Steamer at Aspley Guise in 1866 (no.85); the Half Moon at Sharnbrook in 1867 (no.255); the Sun, Bedford, in the same year (no. 268); the Foresters' Arms, Bedford, in 1868 (no.270); and the New Inn at Shefford in 1871 (no. 93); while no. 94 gives the date of his leases as follows: 1866 Bedford, the Rifle; 1869 Barford, the Anchor; 1871 Marston, the Exhibition Ground; 1873 a public-house at Flitwick, and the Locomotive at Wellingborough. With regard to the Bucks. property, he had acquired the Red House at Wavendon in 1864 (no.287), the Plough at Newport Pagnall in 1866 (no.340); and the Cock at North Crawley at some date which does not appear. Eventually William Belsham is found in possession of the brewery; and after a brief interval, in which Samuel Whitbread seems to have had some connection with it, it passed in 1800 to William Long (no.372). Whittingstall and Long (c.1784-1803) Since at least 1784 there had been a partnership between the brothers Henry and James Whittingstall and William Long. Where they did their brewing does not appear, but the Whittingstalls' new brick malting in St Paul's parish is mentioned in 1783 (no. 367). During this time they had steadily acquired public-houses: the White Horse at Haynes in 1784 (no.449); the Sow and Pigs, Bedford (no.412) and the Hearse and Horses, Bedford (no.433), and the Cock at Wootton in 1785 (no.465); the Swan with two Necks at Sharnbrook in 1786 (no.478); the Dog and Duck at Stagsden in 1788 (no.495); the Shoulder of Mutton in Well Street, Bedford, in 1789 (no.436); the Six Ringers at Felmersham in 1789 (no.498); the Castle, Bedford, in 1791 (no.437); the Black Swan at Shefford in 1791 (no. 514); the Quart Pot, formerly the Flowing Tankard, at Kempston in 1800 (no. 530); and before 1803 the Wrestlers in Bedford (no. 442). Others are mentioned in no. 533: the Red Lion, Bedford; the Ship, in St. Paul's parish; the Red Lion in St. Loyes; the Black Horse, Bedford; the Red Lion and Crown at Little Brickhill; and the White Horse at Yelden. (Sir) William Long (1803-41) In 1803 Long (afterwards Sir William Long) bought out James Whittingstall, Henry Whittingstall having already died. The purchase deed (no. 533) lists 16 public-houses; and he already had the St. Paul's Square brewery and the White Horse and adjoining property, which he had bought in 1800; in both of these the Whittingstalls seem to have had no share. Long continued to go ahead. In 1804 he bought the Saracen's Head, Bedford (no. 534); and the Swan at Radwell (no. 578); in 1818 the Nag's Head in Well Street (no.544); in 1824 the New Inn at the corner of Canning Street and Tavistock Street (no. 548); in 1833 a public-house at Kempston Green End (no. 584; in the following year the Haycock in Pilcroft Street (no.551); and the New Ship in Conduit Street (no. 555). In 1837 he bought a public-house at Kempston Wood End (no. 590); and in 1841 the Swan at Clapham (no. 597). Two others not accounted for appear in the inventory made at his death (no. 626); the Horse and Jockey at Ravensden, and the Swan at Goldington. The Swan at Barton was copyhold (618). He left 28 public-houses. After Long's death (1841-73) After Sir William's death (he left three daughters), his son-in-law Robert Newland seems to have carried on in partnership with a member of the staff, William Pestell (no. 632), who died in 1856. Some further additions were made. The Three Tuns in Castle Lane was added in 1849 (no. 557). The Woolpack in Commercial Road was acquired in 1866 by Bingham Newland (no.604). It should be noted that where public-houses were leased, it is not always possible to establish the date of the first connection. On 11 July 1873 the brewery estate of the late Sir William Long, consisting of the brewhouse, 28 public-houses (25 freehold, 2 copyhold, 1 leasehold), and some other property, was put up for sale; and on the same date other public-houses, the property of Captain Bingham Newland deceased, was also put up; they were to be offered to the purchaser of the brewery estate. Other points of interest The following additional points of interest emerge from the collection. Trinity Mill: nos. 181-217 throw light on the history of the mill which gave its name to Mill Street. This mill, a horse mill, was on the south side of what in mediaeval times was called School Street (B.H.R.S. xxv, 35), and it belonged to the Bedford Fraternity, or religious guild, which, like others of its kind was dissolved in the reign of Edward VI. The mill and 6 acres were then valued at 53s. 4d. p.a. (Edwardian Chantry Certificates, p.9). The history of the property during the next century is given in no.181. It appears from nos. 182-3 that the mill was still working in 1657; but nos.184-5 seem to indicate that it had ceased by 1697. By the latter date the name Mill Lane had come into use (superseding the old name of School Street, which had become a misnomer when the school was transferred elsewhere by Sir William Harper's refoundation). A later school: curiously enough, the documents reveal another and later school in this street between 1777 and 1836, kept by Thomas and Samuel Woodward, and then by the Rev. John Whitehouse (nos.201-213). In 1836 the premises are described as including a building formerly a schoolhouse, now untenanted.
Level of description
sub-fonds