Newbury Inns, Pubs & Beerhouses

[Kenike]

Hi JanJim

I am the Challis contact that Newburychap was speaking of. I haven't looked at my family history file for a while due to other commitments however am happy to assist where I can.

I am connected to Daniel and Elizabeth Challis of Newbury who had three children as far as I have found so far. Jane, Daniel and Joseph. I am descended from the son Joseph who moved his family to Wokingham around 1868. In 1845 Daniel Snr would have been 64 and Daniel Jnr 24. Daniel Jnr and his wife Mary are listed on the 1851 Census at Bartholomew Street, his occupation being Victualler. In 1861 they are listed at The "City" London Apprentice Inn as Liscensed Victualler. Daniel Jnr dies in 1870 and his wife Mary continues to run the Public House with the help of a servant until she herself dies in 1893. Daniel Jnr and Mary had a son Daniel, along with other offspring and it would appear this Daniel and his wife Emily continue. In 1901 Emily is listed as the Liscensed Victualler with their daughter after this Daniel dies in 1900. I have not looked into why she discontinued at the London Apprentice, it may be that with a young child she re-married.

The surname New does ring a bell for some reason but a connection does not immediately spring to mind. Would be interested to discover how things fit together and how he springs up in your research.

Regards

[janjim]

Hi Kenike,
This is all very interesting, thanks for all of this information.   It is just that after I got this marriage certificate of Jane Wootton who married a Randall in 1845 at Speen, I discovered that Daniel Challis was one of the witnesses to the marriage, as was Lucy New (who I would imagine was Jane's sister).   I would imagine this Daniel Challis would be Daniel Challis Junior.   We have discovered that Jane Wootton was illegitimate daughter of Lucy Wootton who later married Daniel New at Reading in 1826.
Jane is shown as a New in census information of 1841, which was to be expected in those days.

I just felt that maybe there might have been Challis family members that married into the New family, however I will do some more researching in that regard.    Our New family members took over as Licensees of the London Apprentice Inn from the Challis family around 1903.  The two families were obviously intertwined from way back from 1845 anyway.

Thanks for your assistance anyway, and I will get back to you if I find any more info.

jan

[BCSandy]

Hello - I am researching 2 family breweries in Newbury/Speenhamland from the mid 1800's to the mid 1930's.
My great great uncle George Adnams was a brewmaster at the G & A Brewery - possibly on Oxford Street. His brother, my great great grandfather James Adnams was a brewmaster at the James and Son, (Eagle Brewery?) Speenhamland Newbury, and his son, my great grandfather Francis Havell Adnams was also a brewmaster at the same brewery until his death in 1918.  I have found a record of acquisition for the Eagle Brewery by H.and G. Simonds in 1936 but am looking for any information of the brewery during the time of ownership of my great grandfather and great great grandfather and their families.
We have little information and can find no records (so far) for the G & A Brewery - 2 of George's sons left that brewery and went to Southwold to start Adnams Brewery, where it continues today.  Although we know there are photos of the Steam Dray wagon from G & A in the 1920's we have no other information of the G & A brewery.  If you or anyone can provide us with history it would be most appreciated.

[newburychap]

Hello - I am researching 2 family breweries in Newbury/Speenhamland from the mid 1800's to the mid 1930's.
My great great uncle George Adnams was a brewmaster at the G & A Brewery - possibly on Oxford Street. His brother, my great great grandfather James Adnams was a brewmaster at the James and Son, (Eagle Brewery?) Speenhamland Newbury, and his son, my great grandfather Francis Havell Adnams was also a brewmaster at the same brewery until his death in 1918.  I have found a record of acquisition for the Eagle Brewery by H.and G. Simonds in 1936 but am looking for any information of the brewery during the time of ownership of my great grandfather and great great grandfather and their families.
We have little information and can find no records (so far) for the G & A Brewery - 2 of George's sons left that brewery and went to Southwold to start Adnams Brewery, where it continues today.  Although we know there are photos of the Steam Dray wagon from G & A in the 1920's we have no other information of the G & A brewery.  If you or anyone can provide us with history it would be most appreciated.

I don't know where you are getting your information from but ...

James Adnams took over the Eagle Brewery in the 1850s, at first in partnership with a Wells (probably Job Wells), then alone.  In time (1878?) the brewery became James Adnams & Sons, the name it kept until it was sold to H & G Simonds in 1936.  James was succeeded by his son Francis Havell Adnams, who died fairly young following a riding accident (in Feb 1900, not 1918). His son, Frank Mason Adnams took over until the sale to Simonds.  Over the years they were able to buy the brewery (which they had previously leased) and the rest of the site, which is fronted by 2 Oxford Street and 24 & 26 The Broadway, both in Speenhamland (part of Newbury but not in the Borough until 1878).

I would be very interested in the picture of the steam dray - but there was no G&A Brewery in Newbury.

George and Ernest Adnams were James' nephews and are the source of the Adnams name in Southwold - but they didn't start the brewery, which was a going concern before they bought it.  The story is that it was really Ernest who ran the brewery while George enjoyed life - until he was eaten by a crocodile while travelling in Egypt.

I did a little work on connecting George and Ernest to James, but hadn't realised their father (James' elder brother, George) was involved in the brewery - I have him as a land steward in Aldermaston (1851 & 1861), a brush manufacturer in Witham, Essex (1871), a farmer in Witham (1881), a house agent and farmer in Witham (1891).  If he did get involved in brewing it would presumably have been in the 1860s? What information do you have on this brewery career? He and James were sons of John Adnams, a Thatcham farmer.

The picture is of Frank Mason Adnams (right) and William Garrett outside Hunts Bar, 26 The Broadway (Garrett was the manager).

[BCSandy]

Thank you so much for the photo and information regarding Adnams family breweries in Newbury/Speenhamland.  Sorry on the clerical error regarding the death of my great grandfather - yes indeed 1900. 
All the information we have on these family breweries is mainly by verbal history.  We were told that the other brewery  in Newbury owned/operated by George was G & A Adnams Brewery.  I will try to see if I can garner any more info.
If I am able to obtain a copy of the photo of the steam dray, I will scan a copy of the photo for you and attach to another message down the road.  Thanks once again.

[newburychap]

All the information we have on these family breweries is mainly by verbal history.  We were told that the other brewery  in Newbury owned/operated by George was G & A Adnams Brewery.  I will try to see if I can garner any more info.

I can find no sign of a G&A Adnams Brewery - though it is always possible that there was a brewery that lasted only a year or two and never made it into any of the documentary sources (trade directories, censuses, rate books, etc).

In his survey of C19th Berkshire Breweries, Kenneth Goodley documents 119 breweries - but the only Adnams are at the Eagle/Speenhamland Brewery of Adnams & Wells, James Adnams, James Adnams & Sons.  He missed a couple of minor Newbury breweries (though he found them by the time he wrote his Bygone Breweries of Newbury), and there is the odd error, but it is a pretty comprehensive work.

Of course the Southwold Brewery would have been G&E Adnams when George & Ernest bought it in 1872.

If I am able to obtain a copy of the photo of the steam dray, I will scan a copy of the photo for you and attach to another message down the road.  Thanks once again.

That would be great - or PM me when (if) you get it and I will let you have my email address so you could send at a higher resolution.

[janjim]

Newbury Chap,
After all your research into the Newbury Inns etc., recently I've had contact with a family member who is a descendant of Albert Edward New who married Fanny Elizabeth Towsend Wheeler.

We believe that the Wheeler family were Licensees of another Inn in Newbury.

Wonder if you are able to let me know which Pub it would have been.

Cheers
Jan

[newburychap]

There are plenty to choose from:

Rose & Crown, Drummer, White Horse Cellars, Kings Coffee House, Cross Keys, Grapes, Vine, Bacon Arms.

All run by a Wheeler at some point - which specific Wheeler are you looking at?

[janjim]

Hi Newbury Chap,
Seems that this Wheeler family were well and truly involved in the brewery trade!
The Licensee I would be looking for would be David Townsend Wheeler, his wife was Elizabeth Wheeler and his daughter Fanny Elizabeth Townsend Wheeler.

Fanny was born 1879, so may give you a clue on the approximate years.  We believe it was Fanny's parents that were Licensees

Cheers
Jan