Brewers of Burton


Burton upon Trent, a market town in East Staffordshire, England, has a long history of brewing, at one time exporting beer throughout the world and accounting for a quarter of UK beer production; emulation of Burton water in brewing is called Burtonisation. Much of the town was given over to the industry throughout the 19th century and brewers dominated it politically and socially.

Brewers and brewing companies

Some brewers had more than one brewery and brewery buildings sometimes changed hands. In addition to companies started from scratch, there were also pre-existing brewers from outside Burton who moved into the town in the 1870s.
Other brewers existing in 1880 included:
  • Bindley & Co
  • Bowler Bros
  • Carter Victoria Brewery
  • Clayton & Co
  • Cliff & Co
  • Cooper & Co
  • Edwin Dawson & Co
  • Richard A. Eddie
  • Green & Clarkson.
  • Frederick Heap
  • Frederick C Hill
  • Pegge & Co
  • James Porter & Sons
  • Robinson & Co
  • A.B. Walker & Co.
A further three brewers are listed in 1898:
  • Beard Hill & Co
  • Burton & Lincoln Brewery
  • Trent Brewery Co

Political influence

When the town was incorporated as a borough in 1878, the brewers Henry Wardle, John Yeomans, and Sydney Evershed were chosen as aldermen at the first council meeting; other brewers were co-opted, and William Henry Worthington chosen as mayor. Brewers were prominent in Parliament, with Bass, Ratcliff, [John John Gretton, 1st Baron Gretton|Gretton, 1st Baron Gretton|Gretton] and Evershed representing Burton, and Gretton and Wardle representing South Derbyshire. Many brewers were ennobled, including Allsopp, Bass and Gretton, creating a subgroup of the peerage nicknamed the Beerage. Yet an industry that had over 30 participants in 1881 had declined to eight in 1927 and many famous names disappeared from the shelves.

Brewers and cricket

In 1827, Burton Cricket Club was formed through the influence of Abraham Bass, son of brewer Michael Bass. Bass was known as the father of Midland cricket and was a member of the Northern Counties team which played against the M.C.C. at Burton in 1841. In the heyday of brewing in Burton, many brewery companies had their own cricket teams. The Brewery Cup was established around 1894 by the Burton Breweries Cricket Association. A legacy of the era remains in the two cricket grounds that have been used by Derbyshire County Cricket Club - the Bass Worthington Ground and the Ind Coope Ground. First class cricketers from the brewing families, all of whom except the Allsopps played for Derbyshire, include: