BREWERS AND BREWING IN DEREHAM
Norfolk has been the premier barley-growing county in England for centuries, and from the 13th century onwards, much of the crop was transported by sea from King’s Lynn, Wells, Great Yarmouth and other ports to London, and indeed across the North Sea to the Baltic and Low Countries. Yeoman farmers from the 16th century onwards are known to have their own malt ovens and kilns and brewed their own ale. It was not until the 18th century that hops were introduced and beer, as distinct from ale, was produced. Indeed in the late 18th century Parson Woodforde recorded in his diary in 1797 “Busy brewing of strong beer yesterday and today.”
In the 19th century commercial breweries became established, and in Dereham in Victorian times there were at least four. There was the Dereham Brewery, at Baxter Row, owned at one time by John Ward, who left it to William Taylor, who in turn left it to his cousin William Tuthill. There was also South Green Brewery, at what is now called Rash’s Green, built by the Rash family, but by 1845 owned by the Bidwell family from Thetford. The Duke's Head had its own brewery, and there was the Crown Brewery in Norwich Street. In addition Whitbreads, already one of the biggest breweries in the country, owned the massive maltings in Neatherd Road.
The principle of tied houses was well established in the 19th century, and when William Tuthill retired, in addition to the brewery, he sold 34 public houses and many cottages, plus 110 acres of land. The business was obviously a very substantial one, and its break-up and sale probably caused quite a stir, as it took four days. First sale was at Fakenham for the northern group of public houses, moving to Swaffham, and then to Dereham where the brewery and local pubs were sold.
The Rash’s Green brewery evolved into the major Dereham brewery and this made it attractive to larger brewers, and a possible target for takeover. The Bidwell family had been connected with the Rash’s for many years, and we know that in 1794 Samuel Rash had left £20 to his niece, Sarah Bidwell. The Bidwells became the major brewing family in Dereham and remained so until the 1890s, when a complicated series of sales broke up the company. Bidwell’s had owned well over 20 public houses in the area, and the sale included the Bell, the Half Moon, the Red Lion, the Light Horseman and the Fox and Hounds.
James Maris is recorded as being the brewer in Duke Street in 1845, but little is known about him. His will gives little detail about his business, merely instructing his executors to sell “his stock and traded, horses and carriages, and states “his dear wife Elizabeth shall inherit 15 chairs, table clock, and all the furniture in general use in the little parlour, bedding on which we now sleep, the chest of drawers and six chairs in the same room, also one dozen of silver tea spoons, two silver table spoons, and four silver dessert spoons, to be selected by her from my plate; also the watch and all the trinkets and ornaments of the person worn by her except the chain and seal attached to the said watch.”
He also left Elizabeth £20 per year as long as she remained a widow.
In 1920 the Crown Brewery in Norwich Street closed, so Dereham ceased to have its own local beer. By 1988 the ease of transportation together with economies of scale saw no breweries left in Norfolk, although it was and is the premier barley-growing area. Local brewers do now exist.
In the 19th century commercial breweries became established, and in Dereham in Victorian times there were at least four. There was the Dereham Brewery, at Baxter Row, owned at one time by John Ward, who left it to William Taylor, who in turn left it to his cousin William Tuthill. There was also South Green Brewery, at what is now called Rash’s Green, built by the Rash family, but by 1845 owned by the Bidwell family from Thetford. The Duke's Head had its own brewery, and there was the Crown Brewery in Norwich Street. In addition Whitbreads, already one of the biggest breweries in the country, owned the massive maltings in Neatherd Road.
The principle of tied houses was well established in the 19th century, and when William Tuthill retired, in addition to the brewery, he sold 34 public houses and many cottages, plus 110 acres of land. The business was obviously a very substantial one, and its break-up and sale probably caused quite a stir, as it took four days. First sale was at Fakenham for the northern group of public houses, moving to Swaffham, and then to Dereham where the brewery and local pubs were sold.
The Rash’s Green brewery evolved into the major Dereham brewery and this made it attractive to larger brewers, and a possible target for takeover. The Bidwell family had been connected with the Rash’s for many years, and we know that in 1794 Samuel Rash had left £20 to his niece, Sarah Bidwell. The Bidwells became the major brewing family in Dereham and remained so until the 1890s, when a complicated series of sales broke up the company. Bidwell’s had owned well over 20 public houses in the area, and the sale included the Bell, the Half Moon, the Red Lion, the Light Horseman and the Fox and Hounds.
James Maris is recorded as being the brewer in Duke Street in 1845, but little is known about him. His will gives little detail about his business, merely instructing his executors to sell “his stock and traded, horses and carriages, and states “his dear wife Elizabeth shall inherit 15 chairs, table clock, and all the furniture in general use in the little parlour, bedding on which we now sleep, the chest of drawers and six chairs in the same room, also one dozen of silver tea spoons, two silver table spoons, and four silver dessert spoons, to be selected by her from my plate; also the watch and all the trinkets and ornaments of the person worn by her except the chain and seal attached to the said watch.”
He also left Elizabeth £20 per year as long as she remained a widow.
In 1920 the Crown Brewery in Norwich Street closed, so Dereham ceased to have its own local beer. By 1988 the ease of transportation together with economies of scale saw no breweries left in Norfolk, although it was and is the premier barley-growing area. Local brewers do now exist.
The information in this section is taken from a document written by members of Dereham WEA and the University of Cambridge Board of Extra-Mural Studies led by Chris Barringer in 1989, and given to the Dereham Archive in 1998.
The original authors were: Joan Adams, Chris Barringer, Ben Norton, Teddy O' Donnell, Brian and Ruth Warwick-Smith, with help and additional material from Colin and Anne Chambers, Joy Lodey, Sharon Lake and Beryl Flatt.
The text was prepared for this website by Steffi Spooner.
The original authors were: Joan Adams, Chris Barringer, Ben Norton, Teddy O' Donnell, Brian and Ruth Warwick-Smith, with help and additional material from Colin and Anne Chambers, Joy Lodey, Sharon Lake and Beryl Flatt.
The text was prepared for this website by Steffi Spooner.
