Page 14 - SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY AUCTION

The original brew
house appears to have
been built by Isaac
Hobhouse around
1730 - an infamous
slave trader. In 1787
everything passed to
a James Grimes who,
in 1788, leased it to
a partnership led by
Philip George, and
his partners acquired
James Grimes original
brew house in Tucker Street.
From small beginnings the company developed into the largest brewery in the West Country - dominating the banks of the floating harbour from Bristol Bridge to St Philips Bridge, in extent about a quarter of a mile.
The so called Old Porter Brewery initially brewed just that but
a pale ale was introduced in the 1790’s proving extremely successful.
There were seven partners in the business, described as eminent Bristol merchants, some in the slave trade then a dominant feature of the commercial life of the city.
March 1789 Mr George told his partners that 80 barrels of porter were being shipped to Cork, the same to Waterford, and a further 100 barrels to Liverpool, whilst their operations extended
54. GEORGES BEERS / WYLDS CROWN SCOTCH WHISKY WATER JUG. 4.5ins tall. Bright red body with black lettering and transfer featuring the familiar horse pict. t.m. Bristol/ Pountneys base p.m. (9/10)
to several Inns / Public Houses in the city.
It was not until 1797 they showed their first operating profit. By 1828 their annual monthly barrelage, with seasonal fluctuations, was approx. 1,000, by which time it had acquired its own licensed
premises freeing itself
from the fierce competition
which drove small
businesses into liquidation.
In February 1888 they
became a limited company
with an average annual
profit over £40,000, with 70 freehold and 12 leasehold premises. When the prospectus was issued no less than £6,300,000 was subscribed by the public and over the next 70 yrs they grew and grew swallowing up no less than 12 other smaller brewers.
In 1956 they merged with Bristol United Breweries, then
incorporated into the Courage empire, the Brewery finally closing in 1999.
We believe some buildings still remain although most has been redeveloped
for housing and commercial use.
55. GEORGES BEERS ASHTRAY. 4 x 4ins.
Strong red body, black transfer pict. central image, lettering to each side. hard to detect in
manufacture underside hairline crack. Bristol Pountney & Co Ltd p.m. (8/10)
56. GEORGES BRISTOL BEERS ASHTRAY. 5 x 3.8ins. Pub pictorial & lettering in dark brown. Mintons p.m. to base. Exc/ A1 (9/10)
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