Thrale history
Anchor Brewery, Bankside, London (1616-1986).
The history of Anchor brewery from 1616 until 1986, including the 52 years between 1729 & 1781 in which it was owned by Ralph and Henry Thrale.
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Henry Thrale M.P.
Other proprietors: James Monger • James Monger (Jr) • James Child • Edmund Halsey • Ralph Thrale • Henry Thrale • Barclay and Perkins • Courage
Henry Thrale was brought into the brewing business by his father in 1748 at 18 years old. Ten years later, after his father’s death on 9 April 1758, Henry Thrale inherited the brewery aged 28. Dr. Samuel Johnson said …
Mr. Thrale had good sense enough to carry on his father’s trade.
H. Thrale & Co.
Henry Thrale expanded the business and in the first year of his ownership alone the value of plant and equipment rose from £3,569 to £7,110 as a result of upgrading to more modern production increasing equipment. Henry was a pioneer in using a Saccharometer and was the first major brewer to use it.
During Henry's ownership, from around 1760 a new popular beer, Thrale’s Intire Porter was said …to be well known as delicious from the frozen regions of Russia to the burning sands of Bengal and Sumatra.
I would not quit the brewery for an annuity of ten thousand pounds a year. Not that I get ten thousand a year by it, but it is an estate to a family.
Henry Thrale, 1781, describing the brewery to Samuel Johnson.
Expansion
In 1764, Henry purchased the freeholds for more adjacent land, including The Castle Inn which had been leased to the earlier owner Edmund Halsey.
In 1772 Henry almost went bankrupt at the expense of a novel scheme for brewing beer without malt or hops. They were in debt to the tune of £130,000.1 Hester Thrale raised money from her mother and other friends and cleared the debt in nine years. From this point on she took an active role in managing the brewery and again after Henry Thrale’s stroke in June 1779.
Hester Thrale was not averse to using her golden tongue in the day-to-day business. She wrote to the brewery manager John Perkins in 1773…
Cardess of the Blue Posts has turned refractory and applied to Huck’s people who have sent him in beer. I called on him today however and by dint of unwearied solicitation - for I kept him at the coach-side for a full half hour - I got his order for six butts more.
In 1777, Henry purchased the ex-Globe Theatre site to expand the brewery.
The Government, for the second year, have taxed the brewery so as to curtail our particular income not less than two Thousand Pounds Sterling a Year.—dreadful Times!
Hester Thrale, Thraliana, 1 March 1779
Soon after Henry’s first stroke in June 1779 Hester wrote …
In the midst of publick & private Distress, here is my mad Master going to build at the boro’ House again:—new Store Cellars, Casks, & God knows what. I have however exerted my self & driv’n off his Workmen with a high Hand.—Is this a Time as Elijah say’d for oliveyards, & Vineyards? & Men Servants & Maid Servants? when our Trade & our profits are both decreasing daily? & the Nation itself stagnating with Imbecillity? I never saw any thing so absurd—surely his head is still confused; nothing but frenzy this Time excuse Expence to the amount of ten or twelve Thousand Pounds sure.
In June 1779, Hester also wrote in Thraliana …
I examined our own Collections at the Brewhouse this Morning, & found the Difference between last Year and this Year in the Weekly Collections for one Month only—this present Month of July—to be irnmense—no less than seven hundred & forty five Pounds short of the Collections for the same Weeks in June & July last Year 1778. I will draw the Account out over Leaf as I receive it from the Clerk, but I wrote the Sum down in Letters to shew that no manual Mistake could have been made.
A:D 1778.Town Trade only. A:D 1779.Town Trade only. £————— £————— Four Weeks collection 6340: 12: 4. Four Weeks Collection 5595: 6: 8. Additional Houses gain’d 14 350: 0: 0 ————— 6690:12: 4 5595: 6: 8 ————— 1095: 5: 6
Now here is a real defalcation of £745: 5s: 6d—to which the Clerk judiciously added the Collection from the fourteen new houses gained into the Trade; for if things had stood as they did last Year, that Money would have been added ys Year, to the Receipts made the last Year; whereas now—tho’ these houses have been gained into the Trade, the Trade is still Loser seven hundred & forty five Pounds, which with the Money collected from the new houses beside—amounts to no less than one Thousand & ninety five Pounds Loss, and that in the Space of a Month, four Weeks Collection only. This is a curious, tho’ melancholy Speculation, we will push it a little farther; In this great Town we have six Capital Brew- houses; now suppose the Collections of each fall short as ours does [as no doubt they do; for our House is rather eminently prosperous; & besides some body must have Lost the Houses we have gained too], one Thousand Pounds pr Month: here is six Thousand Pounds worth of Beer less, sold in London ev’ry Month this Year than the last, I say in London, for I have not calculated the enormous Difference between either the Exportation or Country Trade; I believe the falling off in both those, but particularly the first, is more than could be dreamed of.
Gordon Riots 1780
The Gordon Riots, which broke out on 2 June 1780 and lasted until 9 June, was a fanatical Protestant protest, led by Lord George Gordon, against the modification of the Catholic disability law, which Parliament had consented to in 1779. On 10 June 1780 following the appearance of a notice in a Bath and Bristol paper of that date in which Henry Thrale was falsely asserted to be a papist2, the Thrales left their house in Bath. Fanny Burney wrote in her diary…
This villainous falsehood terrified us even for his personal safety, and Mrs. Thrale and I agreed it was best to leave Bath directly, and travel about the country.
The brewery was attacked on 6 June 1780. According to Perkins’s obituary notice[^4], the mob came direct from the escape of Newgate prisoners which was also destroyed in the riots, dragging the chains as spoils. Perkins mildly protested…
it were a shame that men should be degraded by so heavy a load; and he would furnish them with a horse for that purpose:
The bait succeeded. Perkins gave them some porter and food and they departed with loud Hurrahs when the troops arrived.
I got back to Bath again, and staid there till the Riots drove us all away the first Week in June:we made a dawdling Journey cross the Country to Brighton where all was likely to be at peace: the Letters we found there however, shewed us how near we were to Ruin here in the Borough; where nothing but the astonishing Presence of Mind shewed by Perkins in amusing the Mob with Meat & Drink & Huzzaes, till Sir Philip Jennings Clerke could get the Troops & pack up the Counting House Bills Bonds &c: & carry them which he did to Chelsea College for Safety;—could have secured us from actual Undoing, The Villains had broke in, & our Brewhouse would have blazed in ten Minutes; when a property of 150,000£ would have been utterly lost, & its once flourishing possessors quite undone. Let me stop here, to give God Thanks for so very undeserved, so apparent an Interposition of Providence in our favour.
Hester Thrale, Thraliana, 20 June 1780.
I left Mr Thrale at Brighthelmstone & came to Town again to see what was left to be done: we have now got Arms, & mean to defend ourselves by Force, if further Violence is intended. whenever I come on these mad Errands, Dear Mr Johnson is sure always to live with me, & Sir Philip3 comes every day at some Hour or another:—Good Creature how kind he is! and how much I ought to love him! God knows I am not in this Case wanting to my Duty. I have presented Perkins by my Master’s permission with two hundred Guineas, and a Silver Urn for his Lady, with his own Cypher on it, & this Motto—Mollis responsio, Iram avertit.4
My master was not displeased that I had given Perkins two-hundred guineas instead of one—a secret I never durst tell before, not even to Johnson, not even to you.
Hester Thrale, to Fanny Burney, 29 June 1780.
Theft 1781
In February 1781, Hester wrote in Thraliana an account of how the Abroad-Clerk, Mr. Lancaster, stole £2,000 from the brewery…
After so much Inconstancy—as Boswell said5 when he was going to be married; we are at last settled in a ready furnished House Grosvenor Square for the three following Months—and mean like Seged in the Rambler6 to be happy; the first Felicity however that I was saluted with on my Arrival, was an Account of Lancaster our favourite Abroad-Clerk running away with two Thousand Pounds: so I have been running after him I think into all the hiding Places of this filthy Town, & lost him at last. I am so afraid the Wretch will cut his own Throat, or do some desperate Act of Remorse—for he really was an honest Man once, & I feel Concern for him in the midst of the plagues he has been pleased to accumulate upon me. if he would have negotiated with me I would have protected the Creature from Thrale’s & Perkins’s Vengeance, but he would run away; so farewell Lancaster & 2000£— Mr Thrale does not mind it of a Pin, but then he is not in the humour to mind Expence of any sort; his Spirits are preternaturally high, and portend no Good I am sure; but Sir Richard7 will watch him & prevent a fit, the Apoplexy is now I verily think connected with Dropsy, & the mode of Danger is changed.
Family life at Brewery House
The Thrales and Samuel Johnson lived in Brewery House, Deadmans Place during the winter.
For friends and acquaintances, the brewery was a difficult place to visit. Cabmen could not find the way and boatmen did not wish to. James Boswell one afternoon failed to persuade the boatmen at Hungerford Stairs - by Charing Cross - to go further than to ferry him over to the bank of the Thames immediately opposite, leaving him to walk the rest of the way. After all, there were few return fares to be picked up in Southwark. Later that night at 1 a.m., Boswell counted himself lucky to secure a hackney coach for the return journey. Society at Brewery House then, Hester Thrale found very circumscribed, particularly in her early years there. It was some consolation that she had two carriages at her disposal, and she took to paying extended daily visits to her mother in Dean Street, Soho.
Johnson argued that Hester must come to terms with Southwark. To linger in the country, “feeding the chickens till she starved her understanding”, would do her no good and in particular it would sour her relations with her husband.
In November 1779 Johnson wrote to Hester that …
I do not see with so much indignation Mr Thrale’s desire of being the first Brewer, as your despicable dread of living in the borough … it is the business of the one to brew in a manner most advantageous to his Family, and of the other to live where the general interest may best be superintended.
Dr. Samuel Johnson had his own room at Brewery House, and his favourite chair was kept in the brewery boardroom for some time after his death.
In Thraliana, Hester lamented …
the Borough Winter which of all other things I most abhor’, but determined that she must go to the Southwark house ’& hack at the Trade myself. I hate it heartily, yea heartily! but if living in Newgate would be right I hope I should be content to live in Newgate.
In another entry, Hester added …
My duty shall make it Pall Mall to me.
More than thirty years after Hester Thrale had departed from grim, run-down Southwark she wrote to her friend Sir James Fellowes…
The best years of my temporal existence — I don’t mean the happiest; but the best for powers of improvement, observation etc. — were passed in what is now Park Street, Southwark, but then Deadmans Place.
Hester Thrale later compared the life of the wife of a country gentleman with that of a wealthy businessman…
There is no doubt but that the wife of a trader who flatters himself that he has three or four thousand pounds o’ year, lives in much more splendour than the wife of a gentleman who has three or four thousand pounds o’ year estate: for the commercial man gains by his business a familiarity with money, tho’ totally unmingled with contempt of it, which the aristocrat cannot possibly obtain — who sees his cash so seldom, & finds it so necessary to his happiness. Meantime my country baronet or squire has what he thinks he has, & his wife knows how much and how little that amounts to — as well as himself: but the merchant’s lady never is informed of her husband’s circumstances any more than his whore is; she cannot be let in to the mysteries of a large & complicated business — probably she could not understand it if she was inform’d, more probably she would talk of it among her female companions, and most probably the acct. of it would interest her so little, she would drive away to the auction hoping wholly to forget it.
Henry’s death and brewery sale
Henry Thrale died on 4 April 1781.
Hester lacked the necessary technical knowledge necessary to run the brewery and was in the hands of the brewery manager John Perkins.
Had there been a Thrale son, Hester might have allotted Perkins a larger share of the profits - he anyway had to be made a partner - and kept the business in the family. But, sale was unavoidable. Of the twelve Thrale children, all the boys died, and there were left just four daughters; and, as Dr Johnson said …
What can misses do with a brewhouse?
John Perkins married Amelia Bevan, his second wife. She was the widow of a City Quaker who was also the grandson of David Barclay (1682-1769) - still known today for their bank. Through her, Perkins became part of a group of London rich with different values to the Thrales. The Quakers brought up in a separate educational, cultural and social tradition, introduced a dedication and dynamism to business.
- John Perkins,
- David Barclay (1729-1809);
- Robert Barclay (1750-1830); and
- Sylvanus Bevan
… united to buy the Anchor Brewery and The Anchor Inn on 31 May 1781 at auction - just 7 weeks after Henry’s death - for £135,0008, the sale price was repaid over four years.
On the day of the auction, 31 May 1781 Samuel Johnson proclaimed …
We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice.
On 16 June 1781 Samuel Johnson wrote to Bennet Langton…
You will, perhaps, be glad to hear, that Mrs. Thrale is disencumbered from her brewhouse; and that it seemed to the purchaser so far from an evil, that he was content to give for it an hundred and thirty-five thousand pounds. Is the nation ruined?
A higher figure of £150,000 is believed to originate from Hester Thrale’s writings in Thraliana. The lower figure of £135,000, is most widely recognised as the sale price. It is unclear if this sale figure was for the brewery alone, or also included other establishments owned by Henry Thrale including The Anchor Inn.
On 3 June 1781, Hester Thrale wrote in Thraliana…
Well! here have I with the Grace of God, and the Assistance of good Friends, compleated—I really think very happily—the greatest Event of my Life:—I have sold my Brewhouse to Barclay the rich Quaker for 135,000£ to be in four Years Time Pd I have by this Bargain purchased Peace & a stable Fortune; Restoration to my original Rank in Life, and a Situation undisturbed by Commercial Jargon, unpolluted by Commercial Frauds; undisgraced by Commercial Connections: they who succeed me in the House have purchased the Power of being rich beyond the Wish of Rapacity, & I have secured the Improbability of being made Poor by the Flights of the Fairy Speculation.—‘Tis thus that a Woman, & Men of feminine Minds, always—I speak popularly—decide upon Life, & chuse certain Mediocrity before probable Superiority; while as Eton Graham says sublimely —Nobler Souls, Tir’d with the tedious and disrelish’d Good, Seek their Employments in acknowledg’d Ill, Danger, and Toil and Pain. on this Principle partly, & partly on worse; was dear Mr Johnson something unwilling—but not much at last—to give up a Trade by which in some Years 15 or 16,000£ had undoubtedly been got, but by which in some Years it’s Possessor had suffered Agonies of Terror, & totter’d twice upon the Verge of Bankruptcy—Well! if thy own Conscience acquit—who shall condemn thee? not I hope the future Husbands of our Daughters, though I should think it likely enough: however as Johnson says very judiciously, they must either think right or wrong; if they think right, let us now think with them; if wrong,—let us never care what they think! so Adieu to Brewhouse and Borough Wintering, adieu to Trade & Tradesmen’s frigid Approbation. May Virtue & Wisdom sanctify our Contract, & make Buyer & Seller happy in the Bargain.9 Mr Perkins saved the Place from the Rioters to enjoy the Dignity of it himself; he has now a fourth Share, & will perhaps in Time be Master of it all; my Dear Sir Philip3 saved it for me & for my Children; I thanked him for it again today, and earnestly pray to God to bless him for his true, his tender Friendship: I think if ever one human Being loved & respected another that Man from his Heart loves & respects me. I have been, & am now exceedingly ill & Good Lord! how attentive, how kind he is! To him & my sweet Mrs Byron I sent the earliest Intelligence of the ease my Mind had received, they love me with more of their Souls than any body now alive I think. Few people will object to my Management, but Doctor Burney. he had set his heart on my Continuing in Business—I never knew why—but he thought it an exertion of Talents I believe & a proof of Superiority, Seward was urgent with me to quit, & the Attorney General, Wallace came over one Evening on purpose to perswade me. Mrs Montagu has sent me her Approbation in a Letter exceedingly Affectionate & Polite. Tis over now though, & I’ll clear my Head of it, & all that belongs to it. I will go to Church, give God Thanks, receive the Sacrament, & forget the Frauds Follies & Inconveniencies of a Commercial Life this day.
On 7 July 1781, Hester wrote…
We have had another hot storming Day last Tuesday 3: July about this everlasting Brew house, but ’tis over. Perkins wanted more Indulgence than we as Executors could give him; so I lent him the Money I had saved & put in the Stocks— 2000£ it was, & sold out for 1600£ & odd. He is, or ought to be much obliged; but when a Man has not all he wanted, nothing will make him quite happy10. The whole is now finished, & within three Months too. Tuto, Cito, Jucunde11.—
Footnotes
- £13 million today..↩︎
- A Catholic.↩︎
- Sir Philip Jennings Clerke.↩︎
- Translates in English as “A gentle answer turns away anger”.↩︎
- His letter to Hester Thrale on 5 September 1769.. ↩︎
- Rambler no 204 & 205.↩︎
- A Topographical Dictionary of London and its Environs.↩︎
- £13,500,000 or $30,000,000 today.↩︎
- The great Difficulty was in perswading my Coadjutors & Joint Executors to be all of my Mind at the first; but the retirement to Brighthelmston gave them time to do all they could do without me, & gave me time to feel my way to their Hearts when I should return to Streatham—like King William who lay by during all their Deliberations, & appeared in his own Cause at the critical Moment:—a conduct I always admired, but little expected an Opportunity of imitating. Johnson was hardest to gain over to my Intentions of quitting, but the small quantity of Cash, the immensity of the Capital, the Consciousness that the Risques we run were ours, the Profits—if Profits—were not to be ours-frighted & convinced him, while the united opinions of Scrase & Cator two Men whom he highly esteems-settled his Opinion to part with what had flattered his Imagination in the keeping most earnestly. Crutcheley—a tim’rous Character, was soon perswaded to a State whence Trouble & Hazard were excluded; Cator had no Heart of continuing a Business He did not understand, & Smith a ductile Minded Creature took no Interest in the Affair I think-so all ended happily, without quarrel or dispute; & I & my Executors are the dearest Friends alive— much feared we should sadly disagree—but a little Management!—and a Woman to manage will always do, & as old Dr Fitzpatrick used to say—You may rely on it. Mrs. Thrale.↩︎
- Upon being pressed for payment in January, 1783, he replied in an injured tone that he thought he deserved better treatment, and that he could not pay anything at that time. John Rylands Library. Eng. MS. 600.↩︎
- Translates as ‘Safe, Swift, and Pleasant’.↩︎
| Owner of original | David Thrale |
| File name | histories/tree01-anchor-brewery/tree01-anchor-brewery-06.html |
| File Size | 29.44 KB |
| Media ID | 928 |
| Dimensions | n/a |
| Folio version | v13.0.0.36 (B241014-181416) |
| Linked to | Hester Lynch Salusbury; ANCHOR BREWERY, SOUTHWARK, SURREY, ENGLAND |
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