George Williamson, 19Th Century Cheshire Brewer
BREWERY The Journal is © 2017 HISTORY The Brewery History Society Brewery History (2017) 170, 55-66 GEORGE WILLIAMSON, 19TH CENTURY CHESHIRE BREWER CHESTER GUTTRIDGE This is the story of country brewing in Cheshire from affected a relatively small but successful specialist 1870 to 1911, first at a public house in Bridge Trafford, Cheshire country brewer. The income from brewing and then at Mollington Brewery, compiled almost entirely minor property investment supported a family of four from two surviving sales ledgers, a rent book and other children and left sufficient savings to provide for a com- family papers. The ledgers record the sale of Williamson fortable retirement. ales to seven public houses (and briefly to an eighth), 32 farmers and numerous private individuals, in all over George senior was born in c. 1812 of farming stock. His 450 accounts. Both my grandfather, George, and his son also George, Rebecca Williamson’s fifth child, was father, also George, were publicans and brewers. The born in December 1853. George senior appears in ledgers cover the last six years of George senior’s career, William’s 1840 Chester Directory as a beer house keep- then the whole brewing life of son George. Public hous- er in Milton Street, Chester. He appears again in the es were the Williamsons most important customers by William’s Directories of 1846 and 1850, where he is far and highlight the significance of the tied house to the described as a Milton Street beer brewer and seller. The brewing trade, even in those times. 1841 and 1851 censuses list George living, first as a .
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