WELLINGTON BREWERY
Anglesea Road Shirley
Brewing Started Circa 1857
Brewing ceased Possibly by Lion Brewery 1873
The first mention of this brewery is in Directories. 1857 Kelly lists Fennell Brothers Wellington Brewery Shirley, and the 1859 Forbes shows Fennell & Newman Shirley, Wellington Brewery. No address is given anywhere, but Mr Fennell lived at Apsley Villa which was in Anglesea Road and in June 1873, there is reference to this property adjoining the Lion Brewery. See the connection I make later.
The brewery advertised regularly, for example in the Hampshire Advertiser of 19 July 1856, there is an advert “Wellington Brewery Shirley-Fennell brothers”, advertising their family table beer, family table ale, strong mild ales and Dublin stout, in casks of all sizes, orders received at 3 Above Bar. By August they had added pale and bitter ales. In December, presumably for the Christmas market they refer to “Genuine Strong Ales”, Strong, Old or Mild ales 18d or 16d a gall, and Milder ales 12d and 10d a gall. (Milder ales were/are ales with a low alcohol content).
In the Hampshire Advertiser of 1st November 1856 there appears an advert for the letting of a beerhouse “in a leading thoroughfare” apply at Wellington Brewery Shirley. Sadly, no address or name is given.
The business was not a great success. In May 1858 there was a notice of bankruptcy of Henry Edward Fennell and Charles William Chantrell brewers of Shirley, to be heard in Court on 14th May. From various reports we learn that Fennell formerly kept an academy for the instruction of sons of naval officers, which he discontinued, and bought the brewery at Shirley. In 1857, he needed more funds so he took Chantrell in to partnership, who was previously a paymaster in Crimea. They were brewers and co-partners, and they each put in capital of £750 which was lost because they employed an ‘inexperienced brewer’. The “badness of the times and scarcity of money” was also a factor. Their unsecured debts were £1,265 18s 8d. There are various references to Mr Chantrill as well as to Chantrell.
Newspapers suggest that a major reason for failure was an argument over the accounts, and suggestions that all blame for failure was with Fennell. However, the Court said there was no blame on either.
In the Hampshire Advertiser for 22 May 1858 there appears an auction notice, Re Fennell and Chantrill-Wellington Brewery Shirley, by order of assignees of Messrs Fennell and Chantrill brewer. This was for stock and utensils, 250 trade casks, 19 store vats, 2 horses, carts wagons and a stock of beer, as well as the lease of the brewery with their interest in eight beer and licensed houses, fixtures and fittings etc. Further, and on the same day, there was a sale of contents of Fennell’s private address at Apsley Villa Shirley.
Note the reference to 8 licensed houses. In October 1857 there is reference to a Mr McKean selling a beershop in Shirley to Mr Fennell for 29s and 6d, instead of selling to Mr Tobin for £100 so this was presumably the same Mr McKean of McKean & Tobin Windsor Brewery, and for a time, Shirley Mills brewery.
We see that on 23rd July 1859, a builder named Inder, sued Fennell “late a brewer” for £4 12s. Inder had let a beer shop in Shirley to Fennell, and it was sublet to a Mr Angell, and Inder had put a distress on the house (logically for lack of payment of rent).
In the Hampshire Advertiser of 10 December 1859 (almost 18 months after the auction) there was notice of a peremptory sale by auction of the Wellington Brewery Shirley, on 13th Dec 1859. Stock in trade and plant was to be sold, with 100 barrels of old beer 12 large vats from 7 to 50 barrels. 22 pontoons, a large quantity of barrels, hogsheads and small casks, copper pump and pipes, a 4-wheel van, large and small trucks, a grey pony, dog cart, and hop presser. Also a “guttta percha hose”, (a natural rubber with thermoplastic properties), stillions, barrel stands, a saccharomer in case etc.
Note there is no mention of a lease, the sale relating only to contents and fittings and items that could be removed easily. Perhaps the business was winding down as later in the Hampshire Advertiser on 02 February 1861 there was an advert for ‘Extensive premises with steam power, for sale or let, the Wellington brewery worked by steam power. There was an excellent dwelling house attached, and rent was moderate.
It is seen that in 1859 a Mr Newman is listed with Fennell, but there is no other mention of him until a notice in newspapers of 7th January 1860. Robert Newman wanted it to be known that, on legal advice, he had not had the chance to contradict assertions made by Fennell within the bankruptcy and which “may prejudice me in regard to possession of the effects at the Shirley Brewery”. Perhaps Newman ran the business for the benefit of creditors, which may explain the gap between the auction notices?
We do know who owned the brewery by March 1863. Various reports on celebrations in Shirley, to celebrate the Royal wedding of Princess Alexander and Prince of Wales state that Mr Welsh was then the present occupant of the Wellington Brewery, and also the proprietor, and that he placed he whole spacious premises at the committee’s disposal. There was also a Marquee in the brewery yard.
We do not know which Mr Welsh, but we can perhaps conclude it was Francis Welsh as by the 1863 PO Directory he was at the Lion Brewery Winchester Road Shirley. Later entries refer to him at Apsley Villa Anglesea Road, so perhaps we can conclude he acquired the brewery and Fennell’s residence? The address of the Lion brewery seems to vary between Winchester Road, Lion street, and/or Station Road which seems to back on the Anglesea Road, so It seems likely that F Welsh acquired the Wellington brewery and its business at the same time as, or very close to, the time he took over the Lion Brewery.
Perhaps they were close together and he closed the Wellington premises or perhaps they were merged to one?
No later mention seems to be made to Mr Newman or Mr Chantrill. Mr Edward Henry Fennell however moved to High street and on 26 March 1859 there is a report of him having passed his Diploma and was admitted to the Royal College of Surgeons. By September he is in Ramsgate “late of Southampton” and had received a certificate to practice medicine.