HEATHFIELD BREWERY
53-55 Winchester Road, Shirley (Near Wilton Road)
AKA Shirley Brewery and Frozo and Charles King, Weeks Bros
Brewing Started 1871
Brewing ceased 1907
This is a brewery separate from Shirley Mills, and Shirley Brewery. Information is a little sparse, and sometimes confusing as the name changed on many occasions, so I have done my best to try and put things in some order.
The first reference I find is in the 1869 Cox directory of Southampton, which lists Charles Dyer at Rose Cottage Winchester Road Shirley. By 1871 he is a brewer at the Model Brewery Winchester Road Shirley. In September 1871, an advert appears for a drayman, apply to the Model Brewery Shirley, and in October that year Charles Dyer, a brewer at the Model Brewery Winchester Road was advertising pure mild and bitter ales from malt and hops at 1/s per gallon, and their ‘very superior strong and mild ales’. This 1871 reference is the last I find, and I believe this is because he had moved on to the Mount Brewery at Bevois Valley (see the separate page for Bevois Mount Brewery).
Charles was followed by N S James, whose name appears in newspapers, and is described as a pale ale brewer from 1874 but he does not appear in directories until the 1880 Hampshire Directory, where his full name of Nathaniel Simmons James, is given. He traded as the Heathfield Brewery until Circa 1880. In April 1874 a waggonette was for sale by N S James of the Model Steam brewery. Also, in November that year, the Salisbury Arms was to be let by ‘the N S James Brewery’. On 20th March 1878 the Hampshire Advertiser refers to Mr. N. S. James, of Heathfield brewery, Shirley. In December 1879, he advertised his superior ales and stouts in 4 ½, 6, 9, and 18 gallon casks, and a family dinner ale at 1s a gallon which “is unsurpassed”.
Thomas Sawyer then takes over at Heathfield. In February 1883, the Bugle Inn beerhouse at Romsey was ‘to let’ by Thomas Sawyer of Heathfield Brewery. The 1884 and 1886 directories show him at 53 & 55 Winchester Road Shirley, and in 1886, Heathfield brewery is mentioned.
In December 1886, the tenant of the Salisbury Arms was summoned for selling beer without a licence. Simonds and Co were buying the premises and the tenant had opened the house on a misunderstanding, borne out by “Mr Sawyer the late brewer”. At the end of 1887, Sawyer was advertising another pub in Romsey, the Red Lion, for letting.
The Hampshire Independent of 28th January 1888 carries an advert that the Heathfield brewery was for let, or for sale, describing it as a four quarter model brewery (approx. 570 gallons per brew) with private residence and large garden. Also, and separately, a ‘first class mineral water manufactory with private residence and large garden can also be treated for with the brewery’, as well as the fully licensed house known as the Red Lion Romsey. In the Hampshire Independent of 10th March 1888, there was a notice that the auctioneers had let the Heathfield brewery on lease, and disposed of the plant, and advertised the future sale of furniture and a brown cob cart harness on behalf of Mr Sawyer.
As an aside, in the Hampshire Advertiser of 14th April 1888, there is a notice for sale of the Red Lion Romsey, described as a freehold fully licensed inn with a four quarter brewery (the same capacity as Heathfield) in the rear, situated in the Hundred Romsey. In April more details are shown. The property was occupied by Patrick Canaven as a quarterly tenant. The agents “having let on lease the brewery, formerly rented by the owner of the red Lion” were selling the freehold. It is therefore clear that Sawyer had an interest in at least two breweries, and pubs/beerhouses in Romsey.
We can perhaps safely assume that the brewery was let to ‘Weeks Brothers (family)’, who were listed as brewers here from the 1888/9 Kelly’s directory until the 1895 Stevens directory, at 53/55 Winchester Road. Newspapers of August 1890 and August 1895 make reference to Weeks Bros at Heathfield brewery Shirley. I cannot find much about their time here.
In 1897 John Watson Sheppard is listed at the Heathfield Steam Brewery, but his tenure was short lived, and he became bankrupt in 1899. He had been a brewery manager, first buying the business, then the premises (as below). In that year he was advertising for a drayman, and on 24th June 1897 he is referred to as being of the Heathfield brewery Shirley, (when describing him as a witness in a Court case) so he must have taken over before June 1897.
The 1897 Kelly’s directory also shows John Watson Sheppard at the Heathfield Brewery at 53 Winchester Road (had No 55 been disposed of separately as the mineral water factory?), but the last entry is in the 1900 edition of the same directory. It is possible that this John Sheppard was the same person who was at the Lion brewery, Shirley, in 1847/8, prior to his bankruptcy in 1848.
On 16th September 1899 the Hampshire Advertiser is advertising the sale, by Order of the Sheriff, the Heathfield brewery. This was the sale of the stock-in-trade and utensils, machinery, and plant, including 3 spring vans, 2 cart horses, and 2 sets of harness. Note there is no mention of the leasehold interest, or premises.
In newspapers of 30th September 1899 we see a report on the Receiving Order made on John Watson Sheppard of the Heathfield brewery. It was reported that on 28th October a report of his affairs showed that his failure was attributed to “want of capital bad debts and depletion in trade” He had started in business 3 years ago, having been a brewery manager. He bought the business for £700, with stock plant and goodwill, borrowing £600, then bought the premises for £1,500, which had all been borrowed. A buyer had been found in the last month but that sale had fallen through.
The Hampshire Advertiser of 15th February 1902 reports further details as part of his application for discharge from bankruptcy. He was previously a brewery manager for 6 years and he started business in July 1896, having bought the business at Heathfield for £700. He had £100, but he borrowed the rest. Having been in business for about 9 months he bought the brewery for £1,500, all on mortgage, which he increased to £1,700. He entered a contract to buy a pub in Oswelsbury for £1,800 in anticipation of a brewery buying it for £2,000. However, they bought ‘a neighbouring house’. It was found that he had contributed to his bankruptcy by rash and hazardous speculation. After buying the brewery he found that the plant and premises were in a very dilapidated condition and he spent what he earned in improving the plant and premises. He also had an offer to sell the brewery for £6,000, but the creditor pressed for bankruptcy instead. A more detailed report of debts, funds etc appears in the Southern Echo of 11th February 1902, if you wish to delve deeper.
From 1900, Frozo Ltd took over the premises and erected a mineral water factory. There was already a Frozo Mineral Water Manufactory in Southampton by Circa 1898, so they presumably moved here (for expansion?). They appear in directories from 1901 to 1904. In the Southampton Observer and Hampshire News of 1st September 1900, there is a notice of application for licence by William Thomas Tanqueray Todd, the Managing Director of Frozo Ltd. They held a Strong Beer Licence at the Heathfield brewery and they applied for an Additional Excise Licence to sell beer by retail, to be consumed off the premises.
The Southern Echo of 22nd July 1901 reports a fire on 21st July at 11pm, at the Frozo brewery Winchester Road. Mr Stormont Todd, the proprietor lived nearby and was awakened by hearing the noise at the back of the house. He looked out and saw that his brewery well alight. The fire brigade “found that it was impossible to save it”. Seeing that the brewery was lost, they turned attention to saving the adjoining mineral water factory and stables, which they did. The loss was about £2,500, covered by insurance. Note mention of ‘Stormont Todd’ as proprietor, and William T T Todd as Managing Director, which means this was presumably a family company or business.
William T Todd died in 1902 and the license was transferred to the new Managing Director, Joseph House in November. In January 1903, Joseph House, ‘the newly appointed MD of Frozo Brewery Company’ was summoned for working a horse in an unfit condition. He pleaded guilty and was fined 20s.
The Hampshire Independent of 22nd August 1903 runs a notice of a sale by auction under an Order of the High Court, of “the Winchester brewery Shirley, fitted with a four quarter steam plant and the mineral water factory with nearly new plant and the “Brewery House adjoining.” The Hampshire Advertiser of the same date refers to the freehold property known as the Shirley brewery, Frozo Limited with mineral water factory, to be sold as a going concern with goodwill and trade. The notice in the Hampshire Independent also includes the freehold Villa, and the brewery house, Winchester Road adjoining, the sale being with vacant possession. I cannot find why the sale was required, but we see that the sale was as a result of an action of the High Court. We also see that every reference is to a four quarter brewery, so there was no expansion over the years.
Note also the reference to the Shirley Brewery, perhaps they had taken the name from the Shirley Brewery closed by Andrew Barlow.
There was no sale and the Hampshire Advertiser of 23rd April 1904 carries a further notice of sale, again under the High Court of Justice. This was for the Frozo brewery and Mineral Water Manufactory, Winchester Road. It was said that the brewery (which had an off licence) was fitted with four quarter steam plant and appliances. The Mineral Water Manufactory was also fitted with nearly new machinery and plant, capital stabling, and a coach house. The property was freehold, and had an area of about ¾ acre. The sale included loose plant, carts, tanks, jars, and other utensils. Vacant possession was to be given. It was also stated that “The property can be utilized for other purposes than a brewery”. An ‘upset price’ (minimum price) was £2,000.
The Portsmouth Evening News of 7th May 1904 reports that the Frozo Brewery and Mineral Water factory changed hands for £2,475 (£263,500 approx. today according to the Bank of England Inflation Calculator).
The new owner was Charles King. On 5th Nov 1904, newspapers report the transfer of the licence of the Heathfield brewery from Joseph House to Charles King, who appears in the 1905 Kelly’s directory. In September 1905 there is an advert; “Wanted strong lad about 17 years old” to work in a brewery, and he must be accustomed to horses. Apply King, Shirley brewery.
The premises are then up for sale again, and on 19th May 1906 the Hampshire Advertiser refers to the freehold property known as ‘‘Heathfield Brewery” Shirley, Re W T T Todd: also the adjoining Mineral Water Manufactory and the freehold villa residence known as the Brewery House, the whole comprising an area of about one acre. This was to be sold by auction, “by order of the Trustee (N. W. Ogle Esq.)”. However, a notice in newspapers of 16th June confirms that this was not sold at auction, “and can now be bought a real bargain, as the estate must be closed”. As we will see, the offer was not taken up.
Perhaps we can deduce from all this that Mr William Todd owned the freehold of the brewery and mineral water premises, and a sale was undertaken in 1906 as part of his bankruptcy prior to his death in 1902, meaning that Charles King was his tenant. This seems to be clarified in the Hampshire Advertiser of 17th November 1906, which refers to a successful sale for £810 (a substantial loss from the purchase price!) of the Shirley Brewery by trustees in bankruptcy of W T T Todd. The reference is to “the Shirley Brewery” with 4 quarter steam plant, mineral water manufactory and brewery house including fixed plant.
However, there was another auction notice just for the sale of trade utensils and effects ‘lately used at the brewery’ including about 270 casks, 1100 stone jars, 600 bottle cases, 12,000 beer bottles, 21,000 mineral water bottles, 1000 syphons, a patent weighing machine, hoist, 3 vans, float, dog cart, a tilted van, harness trucks and office fittings.
From what I see elsewhere, Charles King left Circa 1906, although the picture becomes a little hazy around this time. In 1907, newspapers carry an advert ‘Boy Wanted, used to horses apply the brewery Winchester Road Shirley’, suggesting the brewery still traded. Kelly’s Directory that year refers to dyers & cleaners (Sunlight Laundry) and the Hampshire Independent of 15th February 1908 refers to the licensing sessions which reported that the Heathfield brewery Winchester Road had been sold and was being used as a dye works (again confirming closure in 1907?). The last directory entry for Charles King however is in 1921. In 1908 the brewery house reverted to "Heathfield" next to the Sunlight Laundry, presumably in the old brewhouse. By April 1921, there is an advert for the sale of ‘miscellaneous stores’ of the old Heathfield brewery 233 Winchester Road as the building was required for other purposes. (note the ‘new’ address).