Newbury Inns, Pubs & Beerhouses

[janjim]

Hi Newbury Chap,

Thanks for this bit of New Information once again, its just great,  any information that you are able to provide is most gratefully accepted.

In fact this Edmund New who had the Two Brewers Inn and as well the Newmarket Inn , sadly lost his son Edmund Walter New in the railway accident on Good Friday 14th April, 1898 when the young fellow was 13 years of age.    It was through this article in the newspaper Newbury Weekly News, that I managed to make contact with some of the descendants still living in Newbury.

Jan

[newburychap]

In fact this Edmund New who had the Two Brewers Inn

A great photo of the Two Brewers has just been posted on a local forum:
http://www.newbury.net/forum/index.pl?m-1238243925/s-new/

[janjim]

Hi Newbury Chap,

Thanks once again, great photograph, better than others I have.

regards

Jan

[Brewmaster]

A great photo of the Two Brewers has just been posted on a local forum:
http://www.newbury.net/forum/index.pl?m-1238243925/s-new/

I was going to mention the Newbury.net Forum, where there is a good deal of discussion about old pubs, often illustrated with old photos. There was a splendid picture of the original Old London Apprentice posted there nearly 2 years ago at:
http://www.newbury.net/forum/index.pl?m-1179842675/s-0/

[newburychap]

I was going to mention the Newbury.net Forum, where there is a good deal of discussion about old pubs, often illustrated with old photos. There was a splendid picture of the original Old London Apprentice posted there nearly 2 years ago at:
http://www.newbury.net/forum/index.pl?m-1179842675/s-0/

Lots of pub pictures there, several put up in the last few days - including the Newmarket (aka New Market) Inn that janjam will be interested to see as it was run by one of her lot for a few months.
http://www.newbury.net/forum/index.pl?m-1238314269/

Been meaning to contact you Mr B - I am sure you have plenty to add to my knowledge of more recent years if you're willing.

[stillmr]

There are a number of my ancestors who have been licensees of various pubs in Newbury, including the Two Brewers as mentioned in your original message.  Emily Langfield/Atherton (married to Edmund New) was publican of the Two Brewers in the late 1880's/early 1890's.

Her sister, Kate Atherton was married to James Dew who was licensee of the Newmarket Inn between early 1890's and his death in 1908.  It seems that on his death his brother in law Edmund New took over temporarily as licensee of this pub.

Would be really interested in any further information you have about either of these pubs, in particular the Two Brewers which I seem to be unable to find much information about.

Thanks

Ruth

[newburychap]

Hello Ruth - welcome to Rootschat.

The Two Brewers was in West Mills, opposite the Town Mill.  It was owned by the West Mills Brewery (over time Slocock's, Hawkins & Canning, T E Hawkins, Hawkins & Parfitt's South Berks Brewery, H & G Simonds). The earliest record I have is from 1761.

Sadly the pictures on newbury.net that I and Brewmaster referenced earlier in this thread are no longer available.

http://www.francisfrith.com/newbury,berkshire/photos/the-church-from-west-mills-c1955_N61020/ shows the Two Brewers on the right.  I suspect their dating of 1955 is a little early as there is no sign of the Two Brewers' inn sign that hung on the pub until it closed in late 1955.

The Two Brewers went at a time of pub rationalisation; Reading brewers H & G Simonds had bought three of the four Newbury breweries to survive WWI and hence owned almost all the pubs in town.  Some of these were still running under beerhouse licences. The licensing magistrates were loath to convert beerhouse licences to full licences so Simonds did a deal whereby they closed four fully licensed houses and transferred the full licenses to four beerhouses which they felt had a better future.  So the Two Brewers went and the Castle in Northbrook St got a full licence. Ironically it was only a few years later that all surviving beerhouses were granted full licences as the magistrates had had a change of heart and no longer worried about maintaining the old restrictions.

Thanks for giving the relationship between Dew and New - I suspected something of the kind after finding a description of Dew's funeral a couple of weeks ago (see image).

[stillmr]

Many thanks newburychap for all the info.  Really interesting - the NWN obit shows my great grandfather (SJ Stillman) as attending James Dew's funeral!

Shame about the pics of the Two Brewers - I had already tried to follow the link from earlier messages and had no luck.

My ancestor William Turner (from another branch of the family!) was licensee at the Red House from about 1881 - 1894.  He then kept the Wellington Arms from 1894 - 1896.  It must run in the family!

Ruth

[newburychap]

I think you'll find that William Turner moved from the Red House to the Wellington Arms in 1892 - both pubs are still with us today unlike many of their contemporaries.

If you have Stillman connections perhaps you can shed some light on William Stillman, shoemaker and beer seller at the Duke's Head, 1851-54 (ish). This was a beer shop or beer house somewhere not too far from the current Gun and Old Bell pubs on the edge of Wash Common. I would love to find any more information that might help me work out exactly where it was.