The Brewery Inn

The 1839 Tithe Map shows that the whole of the plot shaded here was owned by Sidney Gregg. Made up of 12 properties it included what is now The Brewery Inn which is where Sidney is living at that time.




I am listing all the occupants given in the 1839 Apportionment (as listed in unknown order) followed by the 1841 listing presumably in the order of the enumerator's route, they match very closely and the census tells us more about the occupants..

I believe the enumerator is walking down the road, the first entry being nearest Foley House.

1839.	1841.
John Stephens	John Stephens 35 Blacksmith
Charles Gurney	Charles Gurney 35 mason
John Preedy	John Preedy 40 Ag Lab
John Fleetwood	William Teague 45 Stone Mason
John Butt	John Butt 40 Ag Lab
George Ambler	Lydia Hamblin 40 Ag Lab
Priscilla Clarke	George Coulston 25 Shoe Maker
Sidney Gregg	John Jones 20 Publican
William Parker	Edward Siford 40 Ag Lab
William Pillinger	William Parker 45 Ag Lab
Henry Davis	Henry Davis 35 Stone Mason
John Hardwick	John Hardwick 30 Ag Lab

So who was Sidney Gregg and what happened to him between 1839 and 1841?

Sidney Gregg (1800 ─ 1878) was the second son of James Gregg (1766-1839) and Mary nèe Bosworth.
James and Mary had James (1797 ─ 1871) who became a solicitor practising in the Homend.
Sidney. (1800 ─ 1878)
Mary. (1802 ─ 1896)
Edwin. 1804 ─ ?)
James lived at both Pegs Farm, Staplow, and Bye Street with his son Sidney, dying in Bye Street on Mar 15th 1839 (burial date).

Then from The Hereford Journal January 22nd 1840:

Sale date: 5th and 6th February.

LEDBURY, HEREFORDSHIRE. Live Stock, Farming Implements, Corn, Grain, Hay, and other Effects, on Pegs-Farm Estate, in the Parish and within 3 miles of the Town of Ledbury, in the County of Hereford. Also, the stock of Building and Stone-Mason Materials, Stock in Trade, Household Furniture, Dairy Articles, and various Effects, situate in Bye-street, the Town of Ledbury, the property of Mr. James Gregg, late of the same place, deceased.
The whole of the HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, Dairy Articles, and Stock in Trade Ledbury, will be sold, on the Premises in Bye-street; consisting of bedsteads with and without furniture, capital feather beds and bedding, chests with drawers, linen chests, wash stands, dressing tables, and other chamber articles, bureaus, glass case, dining and other tables, chairs, clock, china, kitchen requisites, culinary and other articles of general description for a house regularly furnished ; a donkey gig and harness, saddles, bridles and carrying pad, cidermaking implements, tubs, hurdles, wagon, cart and other timber, garden and other tools, a regular set of dairy utensils, and miscellaneous articles. The Stock in Trade comprises marble and slab chimney pieces, coves, hearth stones, slate and stone cisterns, grind-stones, paving and block stone, worked and plain head stone and ledgers, sundry lath, scaffold poles, lugs, runners, planks, ladders, stone mason and bricklaying implements and tools, and infinite other articles, together with rick of excellent hay to go off the premises, and a fat pig.

And in the Hereford Journal 26th February 1840:

To be let, And entered at any time, A DWELLING-HOUSE, Stable, Malthouse, Cider Warehouses, Cider Mill-house, Garden and Orchard, Bye Street, Ledbury, lately occupied by Mr. James Gregg, (deceased), and which the businesses of a Builder, Stone Mason, Maltster and Cider Merchant, have been extensively carried on for the last 40 years. The Malthouse, in which 1500 Bushels maybe made in the season, and the Warehouses which are capable of holding between 100 and 200 Hogsheads, may be let separately if required. The House is convenient, and the Garden and Orchard very productive, and as the new Canal now in progress will pass within 15 yards of these premises, where the Wharfs will be made, there cannot be a better situation for an Inn, or a Coal Merchant, or for any other kind of business requiring room. For a view apply on the premises, and for further particulars to Mr. James Gregg, Solicitor, Ledbury.

Sidney Gregg, now 40, marries Mrs Mary Cross (1801 ─ 1896) of Castlemorton on May 28th 1840 and settles in Pegs Farm where he is in 1851.

And as shown above in 1841 John Jones is a publican here.

Here is a list of the publicans found on census and Directories.

1851 Francis Heath 46 Boat Builder and Publican. (Pub not named on the census but see below)
1861 William Wilkes 29 from Redmarley.
1863 Post Office Directory: Thomas Lawrence Beer Retailer Bye Street.
1871 The Brewery Inn Landlady Ann Lawrence 77 from Whitley Worcs.
1879 Post Office Directory: Lawrence Ann (Mrs) Beer Retailer Bye Street.
1881 The Brewery Inn Richard Hickman 44 Corn Miller.
1891 Brewery Inn Ben James 44 Innkeeper.
1901 Brewery Inn Ben James 54 Innkeeper.
1911 Brewery Inn Ben James 60 Innkeeper.
1939 Brewery Inn Frances James Publican.

In 1851 Pub now named as 'The Boatman's Arms'.

From the Hereford Journal November 5th 1851

Fatal Accident with a Cider mill: Henry Underwood, Esq., coroner, held an inquest on Saturday last at the Boatman's Arms public house, in the parish of Ledbury, on the body Mr. Francis Heath, the late landlord, who died on the previous Thursday from injuries received whilst cidermaking.
On the night of Tuesday the 28th ult. deceased, who was boat builder, was engaged with another man of the same trade named Thomas Hill, making cider in a mill worked by a pony. Having struck the animal, he endeavoured to pass a certain narrow place before the pony came to it, but not being able to do so quickly enough, he was crushed.
He was carried home, where was attended by Wm. Griffin, Esq., surgeon, who on examination found that three ribs were fractured. poor fellow was perfectly sensible, and the usual bandage was applied.
On Thursday morning, about ten o'clock, he seemed to be going on well, and a fresh bandage was put on, which he said made him more comfortable; but about hour and a half afterwards he died.
Deceased did not complain of being hurt otherwise than in the ribs. He was a man of unhealthy constitution, and in the surgeon's opinion he died from shock to the nervous system. Verdict accordingly.
Deceased was a married man, without any family, and 46 years of age.

and from Hereford Times Saturday 12 October 1861:

Ledbury.
To be Let, and entered upon at once, and old established BEER HOUSE known as "BREWERY INN" consisting of a good roomy house, with bowling alley, stabling, brew house, cider mill. And an excellent garden and orchard. Coming in moderate: Apply to Mr William Wilkes on the premises.

Although there is a family connection by marriage between Thomas Lawrence, who is the landlord from at least 1863, and the later James dynasty it is the arrival of Benjamin James, who was born in Chipping Camden, that set the scene for the next 100 years.
Benjamin married Hannah Davis from the Bye St bakery (for more on her click here in 1876 and they had 5 children including Francis born in 1881. Benjamin died in 1923 and his son Francis carried on the business.
Francis married Ella E B Lee in 1913 and they had Ernest in 1915, Hilda in 1920 and Frances in 1927.
Hilda married Marsden Thomas Partridge in 1942. Francis died in 1951 and Ella carried on in the Brewery until 1979 after which Hilda (now Partridge) carried on until 1985 ending nearly 100 years of family ownership.

The image on the left must have been taken before 1921 as it shows the two cottages on the right in the middle of the road (No 55 and 57), the image on the right (Courtesy of The Brewery Inn) must have been taken after 1936 as the cottages (Nos 62 to 65) just to the right of the pub have gone.
































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