BEVOIS STREET BREWERY
3 Bevois Street
Also Bevois Street Tavern, Bevois Castle Hotel, Bevois Castle Brewery, Castle Tavern, and Fanny Lock’s Brewery
Started 1836
Brewing ceased Circa 1862
This beerhouse is not to be confused with the Bevois Tavern in Lodge Road (was Bevois Road), also sometimes the Bevois Mount and Mount Brewery. Nor is this to be confused with the Bevois Castle Hotel in Onslow Road.
The Bevois Castle Hotel I refer to was at 3 Bevois Street. As below, the first reference is to the Bevois Street brewery in 1839. By the 1850s it was the Castle Tavern (in the time of Joseph Miller), and Bevois Castle Tavern. It was also the Bevois Castle Hotel before becoming the Bevois Street Tavern. By the 1860s it had become the Bevois Castle Brewery (the pub was the Bevois Castle), and then the Bevois Castle Hotel in early 1900s. During the 1840s, it was also referred to as ‘Fanny Lock’s Brewery.
The start of this enterprise may have come in 1830 when newspapers carry an advert for the sale of a freehold brewery by auction with ‘unfinished dwelling’ in Bevois Street, which was ‘good for beer trade’. Dates referred to later on this page support this view. We do know that this beerhouse (as it was then) was run by William Lock in the 1830s, and directories of 1836 show William Lock at Bevois Street, as a brewer, and in 1839 at Bevois Street, as a retail brewer. William Lock died in August 1839, aged 41 years, and in newspapers of 18thAugust that year Rebecca Lock, his widow, thanked customers of the Bevois Street brewery and said that she would continue the business.
Rebecca Lock then appears in the 1843 PO Street Directory as brewer and beer retailer in Bevois Street, and until 1849 she is a brewer at Bevois Street Brewery. In the Hampshire Independent of 9th November 1850, it was reported that a dinner was held at the Bevois Street Tavern to celebrate “the opening of the house as a licensed Inn”, the licence having been granted to Mrs Lock who had for many years conducted it as a beerhouse.
In the 1851 Census, Rebecca Lock has a son living with her, George Henry Lock, a brewer aged 24 years. In 1851 and 1853 directories she is still listed here, but not as a brewer. It may be that her son was brewing instead, although confusingly, in July 1852, the death of George Pearce Lock, was announced, aged 26 in Bevois Street Southampton, a brewer. It is likely however that this was also Rebecca’s son, as the ages do match, as does his first name.
It looks as if his death prompted change. In the Hampshire Advertiser of 11th February 1854, there is an auction notice for the Bevois Street Tavern Brewery on 28th February. It was described as a 3 ½ quarter brewery (approx. 500 gallons per brew), with a malt loft, stables, cart store, cellarage and house adjoining on the East with garden. Wholesale and retail trade had been carried on for the last 25 years (ie1829 ish). On 25th February, in the same newspaper, there are additional details, and it is described as a valuable free public-house, known as the Bevois Street Tavern Brewery, and Premises, situate in Bevois Street, and belonging to the late William Lock. Lot I. was the freehold free public house, and brewery as described earlier. Lot 2 was an excellent freehold dwellinghouse. It appears that there were no takers as a similar notice appears on 16th September 1854.
The directory for 1855 refers to Miss F Lock as Landlord here. This is Fanny Lock, Rebecca’s daughter. However, the business may have changed hands, as at the licensing sessions of February 1855, Rebecca Lock transfers the licence of the Bevois Street Tavern to Joseph Miller of Peterborough “who has purchased the brewery and entire premises”. Perhaps Fanny had been brewing for some time, and/or was kept on as a brewer; why else would the business acquire the ‘Fanny Lock’s Brewery’ name?
They did brew for other outlets as in January 1856, there appears an advert for the letting of a beer house with immediate possession at St John Street, St Marys “apply to Bevois Street Brewery Southampton”. They also supplied the Floating Bridge Hotel.
Joseph Miller did not stay long, as in August 1856, the renewal of his licence was refused, as a result of his bankruptcy. In September and October Joseph Miller is described in bankruptcy proceedings as a common brewer of Southampton. He had creditors of £588, including a mortgage on a lease of the Floating Bridge Hotel, and the Castle Tavern and brewery, which cost £1,200. Property had realised £200, with an expected surplus on mortgaged property. It was said that Miller was the keeper of the pub, and that in August, 3 days before bankruptcy, he disposed of the hotel business to a Mr Hobbs, taking a bill of exchange. Someone else took furniture in settlement of a debt. Miller “made a lease of the Castle Tavern to Hobbs in August last. At the time Hobbs gave a bill of exchange for £160, (due in December) he drew the lease himself”. Allegations were made that it was a memorandum not a lease. No premium had been paid for the lease. The property was mortgaged before it was passed to Hobbs (a coach maker by trade). At further hearings it was said that losses arose because of “bad brewing by manager”.
The Hampshire Advertiser of 25th October 1856 announces a sale by auction of the “freehold public houses and brewery”. Lot 1 was described as being “All that the very desirable property known as the Castle Tavern and brewery situate in Bevois Street Southampton”. It contained a well arranged Gin shop, smoking and tap room, meeting room for 300, 7 bed rooms, and a three quarter brewery. Lot 2, was the Floating Bridge Hotel.
I cannot find reference to the Mr Hobbs elsewhere, and by February 1857, Joseph Miller was in London. In December 1860, there was an advert for the sale of a light modern built phaeton with patent axels, plus a malt mill by Pontifix “apply D Badcock Bevois Street Brewery Southampton. A Phaeton was a light, four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with or without a top, usually having two seats, perhaps left behind by Mr Hobbs, Coach maker?
It is likely therefore that Daniel Badcock took over in 1856/7. He may also be the same ‘Daniel Badcock’ who had a lease of the Three Horseshoes Inn, in The Square Winchester in 1858. However, he was also only at Bevois Street for a short time as there were bankruptcy proceedings reported in June 1862 re Daniel Badcock, a brewer and publican, formerly of the Bevois Tavern. He had, in November 1861, (according to the Hampshire Advertiser) transferred the licence of The Bevois Castle to John Rose. The Hampshire Independent, in the same report refers to the Bevois Street Tavern!
I suggest that the brewery and pub/hotel business were separated, and that brewing ceasedin or around 1862. By May 1868, the Bevois Castle Tavern was up for sale by auction, with reference to all fixtures and fittings ‘belonging to the above named hotel’, and in October 1874, the Bevois Castle was up for letting due to old age, presumably meaning retirement?
There was a succession of licence transfers in the following years but the ‘brewery’ trail runs dry. It is likely that brewing ceased with Daniel Badcock, around 1860/61. Eventually, the pub belonged to the Gales brewery of Horndean, and was closed and demolished in 1964.