J R KING & SONS
9 Hanover Buildings, and Kings Passage
Also Kings Yard Brewery, East Street Brewery
Brewing started 1834 (but possibly earlier)
Acquired by Coopers 1864 as below
Brewing ceased 1864
James King was in occupation of premises owned by Robert and William Sanders (see the Sanders brewery page), and I believe he may have succeeded to the Sanders business, for three reasons. First, in that section I refer to a newspaper notice in March 1832 of an auction by Sanders of his “Malthouse storehouse and stabling standing in the yard of the premises occupied by Mr James King” and also 3 acres of land in Houndwell adjoining the above premises”. Second, in March 1860 the Blue Boar Inn, East Street was to let by King, and Sanders brewery was behind the Blue Boar. Finally, the plan on the Sanders page puts the brewery at Kings Passage. Later you will see the address of JR King Brewery at King’s Yard.
It is likely therefore that Sander’s brewery was acquired by J R King & Sons, or perhaps they took a lease of the brewery and other premises in 1831, and the executors of William Sander’s estate eventually sold the freehold to JR King or to a third party.
The history of the King family is recorded in the Hampshire Advertiser of 1st March 1856, which I mention later. James King purchased the brewery jointly with his brother John King, (from Sanders?) and in 1839 James King purchased John King’s half share in the business. The brewery was part freehold and part leasehold. On the 6th of April 1839, James King took his son John Robert King into partnership with him, giving him a quarter share, and around this time he made his will. He had another son named Maurice, a wife and four daughters, and by his will he left the brewery and plant to his two sons, John Robert and Maurice King. In 1848, John Robert and Maurice King dissolved their Partnership, with John Robert continuing the business.
James King died on the 17th of April 1842 aged 54. I do not know if it was a ‘typo’ but the death notice states he was “a brewer of this town much deplored by a large circle of friends”.
Information in directories starts with the 1834 Fletcher directory where James King is a brewer and maltster at Hanover Place Houndwell. By 1836, and 1839 he is at East Street. The 1839 Robson’s directory refers to ‘King Jas & Son East Street Brewery East Street Brewer & Spirit Merchant’. In 1843 John Richard King is a Brewer at Saunders Lane & 9 Hanover Buildings, and by 1845 he is joined by ‘Morris’ as brewers, maltsters and spirit merchants East Street brewery. 1847 has a similar entry.
The Hampshire Independent of 26th August 1848 carries the partnership dissolution notice in respect of the partnership ‘lately subsisting between us in the Town and County of the Town of Southampton, in the trades or businesses of Common Brewers, maltsters, and spirit merchants, was this day dissolved by mutual consent, as witness our hands this Twenty Fifth day of August, one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight. John Richard King, Morris King.’ (is ‘Morris’ therefore the correct spelling?).
The 1849 directory reflects this change, referring only to John Richard King as a brewer at East Street and 9 Hanover Buildings. By 1853, and 1855 he is at Kings Yard Middle East Street; note the change of address. John King dies in 1849.
I mentioned the Hampshire Advertiser of 1st March 1856, which sets out in some detail the appeal case of Oliver v. King, in the Chancery Division. The case involved a bill filed by the executors of John King, to recover from the executors of the late James King, the sum of £10,000 and interest, secured to John King by a bond of James King, of 6th of April, 1839. James had become ill and he discussed his financial arrangements with his brother before his death, and he changed his Will. As a result, James King transferred all his leasehold estate in the brewery to his two sons, with the debts due to it, on the 6th of April 1842.
All his other property was left to his wife for life, with remainder to his four daughters.
A dispute arose as to the enforceability of the £10,000. John King died without ever having disputed the Deed, and the appeal Judges dismissed the bill as it was not just or reasonable that John King's executors could “now impeach a deed which it was clear he had agreed with during his life time.”
This was a major falling out between the executors of the two brothers. Don’t forget the claim related to a bill of £10,000, which would be about £920,000 today according to the Bank of England inflation calculator.
James’s son John Robert King continued the business in the short term, with the 1857 and 1859 directories showing John R King at King’s Yard Middle East Street, brewer and spirit merchant. In or around 1859/1860, William Seward Le Feuvre went in to partnership with John, and the 1861 Forbes directory (possibly based on 1860 information) refers to King & Le Feuvre Kingsland Middle East Street brewers and spirit merchants. In March 1860, the Blue Boar Inn, East Street was ‘to let’ by King & Le Feuvre East Street brewery.
That partnership did not last long. A notice appears in newspapers of 16th March 1861 in respect of the Middle East Street Brewery, stating that from 5th March 1861 the partnership between Messrs King and Le Feuvre had been dissolved by mutual consent, and that the business was to be continued by W Seward Le Feuvre who asked for support from customers.
The Hampshire Advertiser of 31st August 1861 carried a report of the Licensing Session. It was said that the Bevois Town Hotel “had been purchased by Mr Le Feuvre who carried on the East Street Brewery (Kings) and that was a guarantee that it could be conducted properly”. The Licence was granted to the tenant. In October 1861, there was notice of a brewery house to let at Kings Passage Middle East Street by Mr Le Feuvre.
In 1862 newspapers refer to him as a brewer , wine and spirit merchant, East Street Brewery Southampton. In August 1862 there was a debate about whether the existing Mayor, Mr F Perkins was a proper person to be recommended to the Lord Chancellor for the vacant office of Justice of the Peace. Mr Le Feuvre was also opposed as it was said he was in the wine trade, and his son “was largely interested in an extensive brewery and owner of nearly half the public houses in the town”.
The 1863 PO directory lists Wm S Le Feuvre at Kings Yard Middle East Street but in 1865 we are back to King & Le Feuvre. This does not really matter as by 30 July 1864 there is an announcement that Messrs Cooper & Kent, having made arrangements to take Mr. W. S. Le Feuvre’s business would be happy to supply any of his customers as heretofore. They had three houses to let, viz, the Blue Boar in East Street, the County Court Inn Castle Lane, and a beer shop at Porton, near Gosport.
Three months later, on 22nd October 1864 there is an auction notice in respect of the valuable brewing plant of the Kings Yard Brewery East Street. This is for a superior 33 and ¾ barrel dome and pan copper, a 15-barrel open ditto, scalding copper, water meter, lead lined tanks, tuns, and vats, a copper refrigerator, three brass barrel pumps and cocks, four copper pump barrels, an oak mash tun, a copper hop strainer, a malt mill, iron cisterns and troughs, store vats from 20 to 300 barrels, coolers, a 6 horse power donkey engine and boiler, oak working rounds, and various fittings and utensils. This was “by auction in consequence of the premises being about to be pulled down”.
It is safe perhaps to conclude that Coopers just wanted the numerous pubs rather than the brewery, although they may have redeveloped the site.
Some random information. John Tomlin is listed as a brewer from 1855 to 1865 at I Kings Yard born 1821 died 1878 married Arabella Wakeford. He is Listed as a ‘brewer’s labourer’ in the 1861 census. In 1871 he is at New Place Portswood as a brewer. Did he work for the brewery until takeover before moving on?
It seems that Taylor & Moody, Sanders, JR King, and of course Coopers, all styled themselves as East Street Brewery, which is confusing! Sanders was probably2 acquired by JR King. Taylors and JR King were both acquired by Coopers brewery which was the last to use the name.