Old Ledbury - The Brewery Inn

Newspaper Cuttings have been taken from old Ledbury Reporter newspapers, adverts from Tilleys Almanac 1916 and 1958, photos are credited to the owners and comments are from members of old ledbury group on Facebook

The Brewery Inn - Bye Street

Date Unknown

In 1830, the Prime Minister's controversial Bill permitted a householder or ratepayer, on payment of two guineas to the Excise, to turn his private house into a public house - anywhere - without let or hinderance by local magistrates. Within a few years numerous basic beershops had opened and closed in Bye Street - Boatmans Arms, Bridge Inn, Horse and Groom, Pointers Tavern, White Lion ( alehouse ), and the New Crown. The only one to survive was the Brewery Inn. Common brewer John JONES chose a sign reflecting the commercial side of his expanding business. He was first recorded here in 1834, living towards the end terrace overlooking the new wharf and canal. Next door was the Boatmans Arms, the property of Francis HEATH, boat builder and publican. Georgian and Victorian licensing hours were both long and demanding - 18 hours a day, 4 am to 10 pm, seven days a week, closed only during Divine Service, Christmas Day and Good Friday. As an inn, the Brewery was permitted to remain open as long as a bed was empty, offering basic accommodation, simple victuals, homebrewed ale and stabling to the lawful traveller. Brewing victuallers were usually unskilled, their ales varied considerably in quality and flavour, favouring the easy to brew malty mild. The Brewery Inn however, developed a reputation for consistent quality, brewing a popular range of ale and porter. By 1851, Bosbury born haulier William HARRIS was the proprietor of the Brewery Inn, he was recorded in that years census aged 40, with his wife Mary, 45, and family of three - William, 12, John, 11, and Mary Ann, 6. George CLAY 10, was visiting, his father, new wharf coal dealer George CLAY, who previously held the licence 1841-1851. Widow Ann LAWRENCE became landlady in 1855. In the 1871 census she was 77, her daughter Elizabeth, 48, her married son Thomas, 39, a pig dealer, his wife Lousia, 29, they had a son George, nine. Benjamin JAMES arrived at the Brewery Inn in 1886, he was documented in the 1891 census aged 41, from Chipping Camden, with his wife Hannah 34, and family of seven - Blanche, 13, Frederick, 12, Frank, 10, Agnes, 8, Ellen, 6, Jack, 4, and Dora one. It must have been cramped ... they boarded eight lodgers, including one Hal STODDARD, a retired music hall comedian. The JAMES family were consecutive licensees for 99 years - from Benjamin 1886-1912, to Francis Arthur 1912-17, Ella 1917-19, Francis Arthur 1919-51, Emily Ella BOWERS 1951-73, and finally Hilda Lee PARTRIDGE 1973-85. When she retired, she sold the Brewery Inn to Marston Thompson and Evershed, Ltd, Burton-on-Trent, who were taken over by Banks's in February, 1999. Ledbury Magistrates granted a full alehouse licence to the old Brewery Inn, 6 September 1973, finally allowing the sale of wine and spirits in the last beerhouse in Ledburv. Something that would have been appreciated by new wharf coal dealer John JONES Research by John RICHARDS Local Pub Historian

Photo Mike and Jayne DEAN The Brewery Inn Collection BREW10

Date Unknown

Licensees Common Brewer / Beerhouse c1834 John JONES 1841 George CLAY 1851 William HARRIS 1855 Ann LAWRENCE 1877 Richard HICKMAN 1886 Benjamin JAMES 1912 Francis Arthur JAMES 1917 Ella JAMES 1919 Francis Arthur JAMES 1951 Emily Ella BOWERS (JAMES ) 1973 Hilda Lee PARTRIDGE

Photo Chris PONTER CP84 and Mike and Jayne DEAN The Brewery Inn Collection BREW13

...

Date Unknown

Wedding Party - Left Ernie DAVIS (Brians Grandad), Groom Albert DAVIS, Bride Agnes VAUGHAN (Dusty's Mum and Dad), Lady Right believed to be Wynnie POWELL from Belle Orchard.

Photo Brian JONES Collection Album3 BJ81

1950s

Back Row - Mr SMITH, Eric WILLIAMS, Harold CURTIS, ...HUXLEY, George DREW, Jeff BRYON

Front Row - Ernie ROGERS, William ROGERS, Tom PARTRIDGE, Archie COWELL, Ken WILLIAMS, Tony TOMPKINS

Photo Terry ROGERS Collection TR2

1970s

Back Row - Joey JONES, Harry DAVIES, Fred WINDMILL, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown, John RAWLINGS, unknown

Middle Row - Mr DAVIES, Ron BUMFREY, Phil BARNES, Stuart BRACE, Richard 'Dicko' DANIELS, Mick CONSTABLE, unknown, Ray MITCHELL, Stanley BUTLER, Hilda PARTRIDGE, Lionel FLEETWOOD, unknown, George PEARSON

Front Row - unknown, unknown, Charlie JONES, unknown, Jack COLWELL, Trevor COLWELL, Ken STAINER, Roly PARKES, Joey ALLEN

Photo Brian JONES Collection Album2 BJ62

Brian being presented with a trophy

Photo Brian JONES Collection Album 1 BJ26

...

Date Unknown

Back row - uknown,John PHILLIPS, Roger HILLIER, Reg SMITH, unknown, John POWELL

Front row - Bill RAVENHILL, Ron HARRIS, Hilda PARTRIDGE, Jack SMITH, Charley JONES

Photo Pauline PREEDY ( Ellis ) Collection PEP20

...

Date Unknown

Back row - Don FLETCHER, Dean VICARAGE, Terry DOWNING ( Brizzy ), Micheal CLUET ( Kopa ), Richard HALFORD

Front row - Pat O SHEA, Ron STERRY, John PREEDY, Paul Mc TEAR

Photo Pauline PREEDY ( Ellis ) Collection PEP21

...

Date Unknown

F Troop Skittles presentation night at The Plough

Mike BLOISE, Tom GLADWIN, Rodney MORRIS, Don FLETCHER, John PREEDY

Photo Pauline PREEDY ( Ellis ) Collection PEP22

...

Ledbury Reporter

The Reporter now has Archive photographs for the years 2005 - 2009 which you can view and order. Select a year then make sure Ledbury is the keyword entered before pressing GO. I have spent many an hour in the Ledbury Library looking through the old Reporters which are on microfiche. Support this great local paper.