HUNT & Co
3 High Street Southampton
Started brewing Circa 1742
Acquired by Southampton Imperial Hotel Company Ltd 1863.
Brewing ceased 1890
The earliest reference I find is to brewers John & Joseph Hunt in 1771, who were in occupation of the Shipwrights Arms, (now the Duke of Wellington). Does this mean they took over the brewing side, or did they brew on their own plant elsewhere and supply the pub? Later, there is reference to them having brewed since Circa 1742. They traded until 1860 when there was a take over by a new venture, which itself was taken over by Vincent & Elliott a few years later.
We start with the Hampshire Chronicle of 26th May 1777, and I will leave the spelling as it appears (ie ‘f’ for an ‘s’). “This is to give notice that the Wort into which William Wallis lately fell, the property of Mr Jofeph Hunt and Mr John Hunt of this town Brewers, was this day, by their order, THROWN AWAY, except a few cafks thereof which their fervants employed in the brewery chofe to referve for their own drinking, and which have been carried by them to their refpective homes, and not/one gallon left in the brewhoufe. And if any of the of the faid Jofeph Hunt and John Hunt require further fatiffaction than this public notice, the men employed in throwing away the Wort are very ready to confirm the fame by oath, before the Mayor, or any other Magiftrate of this Town. N. B. There will delivering at the Quay all next week, by Meffrs Hunt, Cargo of Harrington Moore Mane Coals, at 29 s. per chaldron for ready money; which are allowed to be exceeding good by all who have experienced them”.
Joseph Hunt was also a coal merchant in Oct 1775, and the Hampshire Chronicle of 2nd January 1786 also describes him as a brewer.
The first Directory entry is the 1793-1798 Universal British Directory, with John and Joseph Hunt as brewers. The 1803 Directory lists John Hunt & Co as brewers rectifiers & wine merchants at 3 High Street, together with James Hunt, a brewer of York Buildings, and John Hunt junior (but not as a brewer), of East Street (not York Buildings). (Rectifiers; They take distilled spirits and refine them to improve quality. This can involve removing waste excreted by yeast from spirits by redistillation, filtration, blending or flavouring.
In December 1804, when announcing the death of his wife, newspapers refer to John Hunt, as ‘an eminent brewer of this town’. In September 1805, John Hunt is again referred to as a brewer, and Joseph Hunt as a Yeoman (merchant).
A newspaper of 28th January 1888 runs a ‘retrospective’ on a report from 1806. The reference is to a “poll at the election of two burgesses to serve in Parliament for the town of Southampton” on 31st October to 4th November 1806. “Before Samuel Silver Taylor Esq Mayor…”. There was then a list of voters names and occupations. Robert Sadlier Moody Esq (no occupation), John Drew (brewer) William Sanders (brewer), John Hunt the younger (brewer), John Hunt (brewer) and James Hunt (brewer), who must have joined the business after 1805.
The 1811 PO Directory shows John Hunt, & Co brewers rectifiers & Wine Merchants at 3 High Street, as well as James Hunt as a brewer at York Buildings. Separately are shown John Hunt & James Hunt, brewers at High Street, and John Hunt junior. Pigots Hampshire Directory of 1823/4 also shows John Hunt & Co at 3 High Street. Similar entries appear in 1834 and 1836.
Newspapers of April 1822 carry an advert for John Hunt & Co importers of foreign wines and spirits, and this trading name continues until 1843, the business being run by John, James, and John junior, Hunt. The 1839 Fletcher & Forbes then, in addition to previous entries, lists Edward Hunt of 3 High Street & Millbrook, being a separate business “Hunt R&T brewers & corn dealers Millbrook.
It is around this time that some changes occur. The Hampshire Advertiser of 19th March 1842 carries an advert for the sale by private treaty of a moity (equal share) of an extensive and long established brewery adjoining the High Street “which has been in the hands of the present proprietors and their family for the last century” (ie Circa 1742). The sale included inns and pubs, cellars wine vaults and malthouses and a wine and spirit trade. The details continued; “the proprietor being an elderly man wishes to retire from business and dispose of his share and interest in the above concern”. The proprietor also has a moity in storehouses and private wharfs and other property in the town. Full details from James Hunt, York Buildings.
The 1843 Directory lists John, and John junior at Hunt & Co. By 1845, the Directory shows Hunt Co at 3 High Street, and James and George Hunt, brewers at the same address, with John Hunt as a corn, coal and cider merchant in Shirley. Is this the same business mentioned earlier in Millbrook? By 1847, the entry changes to George Hunt & Co, brewers, with similar entries until 1865.
We can perhaps conclude that John Hunt senior wanted to retire, and to sell his interest, but I would have expected family members to be approached first. Never the less, it seems that the business was taken over by George and James, and then just George for the next 20 years or so. James and George may have been brothers, and I need to check further.
In August 1852, Henry Reed, aged 28 died in the sea off Netley, possibly of a heart attack. He was employed by Mr George Hunt, whose private address was Netley Castle for a number of years. He opened his land for use as fairs, and there is an interesting piece on the ownership in the Hampshire Advertiser of 21st August 1858 for those interested.
We now come to the Hampshire Advertiser of 4th August 1860, which I think records the most detail of a Southampton brewery that I have seen. The auction was for the High Street brewery Southampton, described as an old established and well located brewery conducted by Messrs Hunt for many years, with malthouses and residences, freehold and leasehold pubs. The auction was to be on 30th August 1860, in a number of lots.
Lot 1. Described as freehold and leasehold premises occupied as a brewery extending from High Street to York Buildings, and Nos. 3 and 4 High Street being shops and dwellinghouses, divided by a gateway facing High Street near the Bargate. An extensive yard with approach from High Street connecting the property with York Buildings, on the North side of which was erected a spacious brewery with tun room, millhouse, hop lofts and stores, a range of timber and tiled buildings occupied as cooperage, stable and other offices. Also a spirit store with a coachhouse and lofts over and a passage leading on the top of the old town wall, commonly called the Rampiers occupied as a garden and extending across York Buildings in depth 229ft and varying in width. On the South side of the brewery road were counting houses, offices, tun room, loft and store room, a large malthouse with granary and cellar extending to East Street and communicating with another spacious malthouse capable of wetting 12 quarters (of malt), being 3 storeys high, running in to York Buildings with store cellar and wine vaults under. There was stabling for 8 horses, a loft and harness room, 2 buildings occupied as carpenters’ shops and a bottle house. There were also 5 private dwellings, 2 of which were freehold also abutting York Buildings with a frontage of about 72 ft and a depth of 80ft including stabling, a bottle house, carpenters shop wine vaults and malthouse. The remainder of the brewery was leasehold for 40 years partly under the Corporation of Southampton at an annual quit rent of £5 10s and partly under the Rector of St Marys at an annual quit rent of £8.
Numerous other Lots related to a whole selection of pubs/beerhouses as follows. The Tiger Inn, or Bargate Hotel High Street. The Fountain Inn High Street. The Spread Eagle West Street. The Half Moon West Street. The Bell, Bell Street. Kingsland Tavern. The Swan Crosshouse. New Inn and the Swan both at West End. The Blacksmith’s Arms Shirley. The Vine in High Street near the Quay (adj Royal George) and the Vine Tap adjoining in Porters Lane. The Cobourg at the end of Porters Lane. ” A freehold dwelling house occupied as a beer house called the Rose and Crown at the bottom of French Street extending to the Coburg and might be made the tap of the Cobourg”. A dwelling house formerly known as the Guernsey Trader. Cross Guns, or West Quay Tavern in Castle Lane on the corner of Simnel Street. The Duke of Wellington Bugle Street. Wheatsheaf Hedge End. Catherine Wheel Botley. Sun Inn Weston. Ship Inn Northam. Southampton Arms, a beer house at the junction of Millbank Street and Ruby Street Northam. Musicians Arms Belvidere Road Northam. Adelaide Hotel South Front, or Victoria Road. St Leonards Hotel Northam Road Northam. Spa Road Tavern Spa Road. Chamberlayne Arms Sholing.
The only main detail missing is the size of the mash tun, from which we could gauge the capacity of the brewery.
Newspapers of 1st and 8th September 1860 record that there had been no sale at auction. Only a few (about 12) of the pubs had changed hands, and the brewery was now for sale by private contract. Bidding had reached £17,000 and it was decided not to sell. (Perhaps the reserve was not met? The bidding would represent £1,800,000 approx today according to the Bank of England Inflation Calculator). There had been reports, with no foundation, that it had been sold prior to auction which had a prejudicial effect on the sale. It was also suggested the site could be converted to a market place or for other public purpose.
There was clearly no sale by private contract either, as on 13th July 1861, a further auction notice appears in respect of the buildings and premises of the High Street brewery, alone or with several public houses and private residences. These included the Tiger Inn, or Bargate Hotel, Fountain Inn and Vine Inn, Coburg Inn, Rose and Crown, Spa Road Tavern, St Leonards Hotel, Spread Eagle, Half Moon, Duke of Wellington, Musicians Arms and Southampton Arms all in Southampton. We can probably assume all the others had been sold at auction the previous year.
The brewery was owned by George Hunt, under a lease from the Southampton Corporation, and in July 1861, there were negotiations to renew the lease. I am assuming this was for the brewery as the Lease Committee wanted George Hunt to remove the arch in York Buildings.
The brewery was eventually sold to a newly formed Company, The Southampton Imperial Hotel (Limited) in 1863. The enterprise only lasted until 1868 when there was a forced sale of the brewery and Company assets. It sold for £28,200 (£3,150,000 approx today according to the Bank of England Inflation Calculator). The buyer was Vincent & Elliott, brewers, who themselves were acquired by William Garton in 1890. Garton had also acquired Coopers in 1887 and the Hunt brewery was closed and demolished, with the site being incorporated in to an extended Coopers Brewery with a new brewery. (see the separate pages on Imperial Brewery, Vincent & Elliott, and Coopers breweries).
George Hunt was a Director of this new company, and I see that the 1861 directory still refers to him as a brewer and spirit merchant. In October 1863, George Hunt is referred to as baker and brewer, and the 1865 Forbes directory shows him at 3 High Street, again as a brewer. It appears that he may have continued to live ‘on site’, and been retained by Imperial as a brewer. He does not appear in the 1867 directory.
William Duncum is listed as a Brewer at Rose Cottage, Clifford Street in the 1859 Directory, and again in 1861 where ‘Upper St Mary Street’ is added. In December 1862 there appeared an advert for the letting of a lawn in Woolston, with details available from George Hunt, or Mr Duncum at the High street Brewery. Perhaps he was employed as a brewer by the Southampton Imperial Hotel Co.
At the time of the sale to Imperial, Edward Batters was employed by George Hunt as a brewer, and the 1863 Directory shows him as a brewer at 29 Chapel Street. Edward died aged 70 years in June 1863.
George Hunt JP, died on 16th November 1874 aged 76. His Obituary states that in former years he was proprietor of the High Street brewery which was then carried on by Vincent & Elliott, and for a long time, chairman of the Hampshire Banking Co, of which he was one of the founders.