The Full Entry
Ely Ales & Forehill Brewery – A Brief History
Published Friday, July 15th, 2005 by Karl Bedingfield
I recently redesigned the website for Ely Museum and while gathering information I came across the museum exhibits for the Brewery in Forehill and Ely Ales. I have lived in the area all my life and was aware Ely once had a brewery but didn’t realise how important it was to Ely at that time!
While viewing the exhibits I saw a reproduction news article detailing the history and beer making process of the Forehill Brewery when it was owned by Hall, Cutlack and Harlock (It was later owned by East Anglian Breweries) and decided (with the kind permission of Ely Museum) to reproduce it here. The article featured on page 11 of the Ely Standard on 15th April 1938.
The Brewery itself is long gone but if you are interested, it was located at the very bottom of Forehill, to the left, just before the sharp turn into Broad Street.
If you worked there be sure to leave a comment.
Hall, Cutlack & Harlock – Brewers of the famous Ely Ales
The antiquity and fame of Ely Ales dates from the reign of King Henry III.
In 1257 the King commanded the Mayor and Burgesses of King’s Lynn (then know as Lynn Episcopi) to permit the men of Ely to come into the town to sell their beer.
During the period 1700-1750 brewing was carried on by the Hall family on the Quayside, which was then the business quarter of the City, and in 1760 Messrs. George & John Hall Jnr. had a very extensive business.
In 1771 Lohn Harlock bought the lease of the ‘Three Crowns’ Inn and Brewery attached at Quayside, Ely, on December 25, 1771. The ‘Three Crowns’ site is now occupied by the residence of Mrs. Harlock, and the Old Brewery is now storage.
Beer was produced in the monasteries by the monks, and it is quite certain that it was produced at Ely in the Brewhouse near the gateway known as Ely Porta.
Ale or beer was first mentioned several thousand years ago, and Egypt, in the time of Seti I (1300 b.c.), was celebrated for it’s production. Later it is recorded that the methods of the Ancient Britons were improved upon by the Romans.
Beer was produced in the monasteries by the monks, and it is quite certain that it was produced at Ely in the Brewhouse near the gateway known as Ely Porta. The custom has only been discontinued in comparatively recent years, perhaps within the memory of some older people alive today.
A Progressive Firm
The present Company of Hall, Cutlack & Harlock Ltd. has now acquired the capital of Mills Brewery (Wisbech), Ltd., and it is expected that within a very short time every house formerly supplied by the Wisbech Brewery will have the famous Ely Ales on sale, both on draught and in bottle.
Hall, Cutlack & Harlock, Ltd. is a combination of nine brewery concerns as follows:
- A & B. Hall, Ltd., composed of
- George & John Hall, Ely.
- Crown Brewery, Lincoln
- Cutlack & Harlock, Ltd., composed of
- F.L. Harlock, Ely
- W. Cutlack, Littleport
- Cutlack & Co., Ltd., Peterborough
- Percy & Co., Soham
- T.C. Legge, Ely.
It is interesting to note that their houses, numbering about 360, in which Ely Ales can now be obtained, extend from Newmarket to Lincoln.
Familiar indeed are the names of the Directors of this company, and it is very gratifying to recall the Public Services rendered.
Whether it is upon Rural, Urban or County Councils, or Magistrates or Sheriffs, or upon Military Service both in peace and war, or in the political world, each of them has or is giving his help to his county and country.
Their Forehill Brewery, Ely was completely remodelled in 1930, and it is considered to be the finest brewery for its size in the country. Many additions are still being made, and a bottlery, with the best automatic machinery for the handling of the enormous output of bottled ales, will shortly be at work.
The Directors of the Company realise that if good beer is to be produced it must be made of the best malt and hops available. To make such production an accomplished fact, large quantities of the finest Eastern Counties barley are purchased each year and dealt with at their own malting.
The Malting
The malting, in keeping with the rest of the brewery, is completely up-to-date in every respect. It contains barley screening, drying and elevating machinery, malt bins and malt cleaning machinery.
Malting, of course, cannot be carried out in really hot weather. The barley, when screened, passes to large tanks known as ’steeps’ in which it is soaked (with changes of water) for nearly 60 hours. It is then run out on the floors, and the grain begins to chit. Meanwhile the blade begins to grow, but must not penetrate the husk. Internal changes are also taking place, and in about 12 days (during which it has frequently been turned over) it is ready to load up on the drying kiln under which is a furnace. An electric fan in the roof assists in getting away the vapour.
Slowly heated, the grain know as ‘green malt’ is hand dry in two days, and the heat is increased until about the third or fourth day, when it is cured and dried off. The curing process is the one which decides the colour and flavour of the malt.
Malts are high dried for mild and dark ales, and pale for pale ales.
The value of the malt depends largely upon the skill and attention of the maltster in looking after his floors and temperatures.
The Brewhouse
The brewhouse itself is worth a visit from anyone who wishes to see a modern and spotlessly clean plant and building. This ornamental building was erected in 1871. Vast changes have been made internally, and in 1930 the whole of the interior was removed and what amounts to a new building in steel and concrete has taken its place. White and green enamelled walls, girders, etc, make it look very pleasing. Various kinds of vessels are show to advantage, and one realises that as regards this company no expense has been spared and that every care is taken in each operation to ensure that the beer produced is a pure, wholesome and invigorating beverage.
Very briefly the cycle of operations is as follows:
The required amount of malt for the brew is taken from the malt store, which is a closed heated room (to avoid the malt taking up moisture) and shot into a bin.
From this bin it is elevated to the screen for cleaning which commands a malt mill where the malt is ground. The ground malt, known as ‘grist’ falls into the grist case. The mashing operation then follows.
About 6 a.m. the grist is mixed with hot water at the required temperature, and in a suitable amount, by a machine.
The resulting mixture, looking rather like porridge, falls into the mash tun where it is stirred by mechanical rakes.
The mash tun has a gunmetal false bottom with very fine slits sawn in the plates, the object of which is to facilitate the drawing off of the fluid (now know as ‘wort’) from the husks in the mash tun
The wort is then run into a pressure copper, where the hops are added and the hopped wort boiled under a pressure of 2lb. for roughly two hours. At the end of this period the copper is emptied into another vessel with a false bottom of gunmetal plates and after allowing the hops to settle the hopped wort is drawn off bright and pumped to the cooling machine (paraflow) at the top of the brewery. After being cooled in the paraflow, with no chance whatsoever of coming into contact with the outside air, it passes to the fermenting vessel; the yeast is added and fermentation starts.
In the fermenting vessel the total gallons of beer made is gauged by the Officer of Customs and Excise, and the vessel may not be emptied before it is gauged and recorded. It should be noted that a brewer is responsible for giving 24 hours notice to brew and for entering up all the materials from which the beer is to be made before mashing operation takes place. In fact, the Excise Officer has a key to the building so that he can inspect at any hour he wishes, and the entire operation is open to inspection by the Customs and Excise from start to finish.
The Beer Duty payment is assessed upon each brew, depending upon amount and strength, and at the present time is £4 per standard barrel compared with 7s. 9d. in pre-war days. At the moment unfortunately, cheaper beer does not seem at all likely.
During fermentation, which may take from 5 to 7 days, the yeast has multiplied and floats to the top of the beer, and is removed by a vacuum pump. The best yeast is selected for future brewing and placed in its own cold store and the remainder pressed up and sent away to be sold. The beer is then run into casks by means of a machine, and the casks stored in the cellars. The casks, have of course, previous to this have been carefully washed and steamed internally to ensure they are clean and fit to store the beverage.
A short storage in the cellars enables the beer to get into a condition fit to send out to the houses, mild ales generally take less time to mature than pale. Beer in cask when served in good condition is considered by many to be much superior to bottles beer and constitutes by far the larger proportion of the output of this brewery.
From the cellars the casks are hoisted by an elevator on to a loading stage, loaded into lorries and delivered to the company’s houses where it is hoped, it will be appreciated by the consumer.
The Bottling Department
High taxation, the cause of the present high price of beer and the change in the habits of the population to-day, has resulted in a large turnover to bottled beers instead of small casks.
This applies to Ely Brewery as well as well as every other brewery, with the result that large and costly additions had to be made to the bottlery of the Forehill Brewery. The very modern bottling department contains the latest machinery for bottling Ely Ales. It consists of an extensive conditioning room from which, when mature, the beers are moved into the cold rooms for storage until required. Both conditioning room and cold room are temperature regulated, the former at 60 F., and the latter at 33 F. The tanks used for storage are solid copper and glass lined steel.
From the cold room the beer is filtered, bottles, crown corked (or stoppered), pasturised and labelled. There are various ingenious machine involved in these essential processes.
Bottle-washing — a very important process owing to the misuse to which some of the bottles are subjected — is done on machines which spray out dregs, soak in hot detergent, rinse, spray internally and externally both with the detergent and clean water, after which, cool and clean, they pass to the bottling machine.
The result of this care is shown by the fact that Ely Ales & Stout will keep for an almost indefinite period.
Power and Light
It is interesting to recall that at the Quay Brewery at Ely many years ago, gas for lighting was produced in a small private gas works, but that was over-indulgence on the part of the gas man so frightened the owner (Mr. E.W. Harlock) that he demolished his gas works and proceeded to generate electric current by an ingenious arrangement of the primary batteries. This was successful but also expensive, but when one of the acid pots bust on the head of his son, an electric dynamo was installed, driven by a steam engine, and was one of the earliest electrical installations in the country.
It is interesting to recall that at the Quay Brewery at Ely many years ago, gas for lighting was produced in a small private gas works
Considerable progress has been made since those days, and at Forehill Brewery to-day there are two sets of Bellis and Morcom high speed steam engines direct coupled to dynamos for power and light.
The exhaust steam from these engines which work out on the ‘pass out’ system, leaves at pressure and is used for boiling the water in preparation for the next day’s brew. It is also used for making a continual supply of hot water for cask washing, etc., and for heating the buildings when necessary.
The power used in a brewery to-day has increased so much owing to the more general use of machinery for ice making, water cooling and beer bottling, that to use the steam plant alone much of the steam would be blown to waste. To obviate this, two diesel Garnder crude oil engines direct coupled to dynamos have been installed, which can be work independently or in conjunction with the steam sets. The required load can be systematically adjusted. Each machine has its own motor, belting and shafting being avoided, thereby bringing a considerable saving. When the dynamos are idle, lighting is provided by electrical storage batteries.
The maintenance of so much plant and machinery naturally calls for expert supervision, and a workshop fitted with lathes, drills, forge etc., is provided, where mechanical and electrical repairs and replacements are efficiently dealt with.
Wines, Spirits and Aerated Waters
In addition to the brewing and malting, attention must be called to the very extensive wine and spirit business carried on, and to the very fine quality supplied.
There is also a large Mineral Water factory with the most modern machinery all electrically driven, situate at the Quayside Brewery.
Repairs
A firm of this size naturally has to expend a great deal upon repairs, a large part that is put out to contract.
There is however a very up to-date repairs department, concisting of carpenters shop, complete with sawing and planing machinery, blacksmiths shop and paint shop, which is responsible for a conciderable proportion of the work involved.
52 Comments so far (Leave a comment)
Leave a comment
Comment notes
Keep comments relevant. Inappropriate or offensive comments may be edited and/or deleted.
Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br/>.
Create links using the <a href="http://urlhere"></a>.
The following HTML elements may also be used: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong> . All other code will get removed before posting.
At 7:34 pm on July 19th, 2005, Martin wrote:
Hmmm, wouldn’t mind a pint of that!
Nice website, good to see you’re conforming to accessibility, I spend so much of my time at work going on about it…the site looks good as well, attractive and clean, just what I like.
At 7:48 pm on July 19th, 2005, Karl Bedingfield wrote:
Hi Martin,
Thanks for the comments. I have been doing web standards and accessibility for about 2 years now. I try my best but every so often something slips though the net.
Having a real pain with the Gravatars right now which is slowing my site right down, gravatar.com forgot to renew their domain!
At 1:55 pm on August 25th, 2005, Jane wrote:
I have read that the maltings in Burwell, later converted to cottages and known as Jerusalem Yard was owned by Messrs Hall of Ely. do you have any information on this please?
At 7:15 pm on February 28th, 2006, Philip Beesley wrote:
Is this the Ely Brewery of Cardiff as I think that they may have owned the Pub that I now run and would like to find out as much as I can about The Aberaman Hotel in Aberaman Aberdare
At 7:18 pm on February 28th, 2006, Karl Bedingfield wrote:
Philip,
I’m afraid not. This is Ely in Cambridgeshire.
At 10:45 am on March 6th, 2006, Neil Matheson wrote:
I’m going to be relocating to the area. Is Ely the place to live, despite being more expensive for property, or the surrounding towns and villages to be recommended?
At 1:12 pm on March 6th, 2006, Martin wrote:
Neil, it all depends what you want. What do you want?
At 8:47 pm on March 30th, 2006, Andy Bush wrote:
Nice article about Ely Ales – very informative.
Particularly interested in the mineral water side, as there was another mineral water factory in Ely owned by one Abraham Smith, my maternal great-grandfather. There is no family history recorded, but the census of 1901 and 1891 describe him as a mineral water manufacturer.
Any information about?
Would welcome any leads you might offer.
At 10:59 pm on April 1st, 2006, Chrystine Dimitry wrote:
Wow, that was fascinating! I have an old bar tray that advertises Ely Ales, but could never find out anthing about it.
Thanks for the info!
At 5:10 pm on April 2nd, 2006, Karl Bedingfield wrote:
Andy Bush: I will see what I can find outfor you at Ely Museum.
Chrystine Dimitry: Would it be this tray by any chance?
At 2:12 am on April 3rd, 2006, Chrystine Dimitry wrote:
Yes, indeed, that is the exact tray! Only yours is in better condition than mine; I have a few scratches in the paint, but not too bad. No bad dents or anything.
At 8:10 pm on May 7th, 2006, Bob wrote:
I have just brought one of the new town houses in the Barrel Store. There is an engraving of E.W.H. 1879 on the building.
There is similar one on the Maltings E.W.H. 186(?). Who is E.W.H.? Was it one of the Harlocks?
At 9:13 am on August 16th, 2006, Susan Draper wrote:
We live in Nordelph. Our house was formerly the New Bridge Inn. According to the records it was licensed as an inn and Frank Mills/Hall, Cutlack and Harlock were the owners. How do we find out when the house was first built? Presumably it was not built as an inn. It is quite a big property with what could have been stabling at the back, now part of the house. Any information please.
At 2:49 am on November 10th, 2006, James O'Donnell wrote:
Delighted to find this site. My mother was Ada Harlock born 1904.A relative of the brewers, she was a beneficery from the will of Florence Harlock in 1948.
At 6:21 pm on January 4th, 2007, John Darlington wrote:
As an ardent homebrewer who moved to Ely from the Norwich area 20 years ago and found that all I could make was “Cr**” -because of the water (the only variable), could you tell me: a) where the Ely Brewery got there water, b) did they have to condition it c) did their beer taste as bad as my many efforts and d) is that why they went out of business?
Sorry to be technical!!
At 12:34 am on April 9th, 2007, John Eason wrote:
One of my mother’s great uncles (William Guyatt, born 1860) owned a mineral water bottling company in Burwell from some time in the late 1800s. His son’s birth certificate for 1896 shows his occupation as ‘mineral water manufacturer’, although I don’t know much more about him apart from the fact that the address where his son was born was ‘Heigh Town, Burwell’.
At 4:00 pm on April 13th, 2007, Teresa wrote:
I recently found the brewery that supplied my 2x great grandfather was the one on your site. I’m trying to find out if there is any way I can see if there were any records regarding the Pub they supplied and my ancestor. The pub was the Judes Ferry in West Row around 1910 onwards.
My 3x great grandfather owned The Bird In Hand in Beck Row for many years also. Could you help in any way? Look forward to hearing from you and I enjoyed reading the info on your site, many thanks regards Teresa
At 9:20 pm on May 1st, 2007, Keith Osborne wrote:
I came across your excellent article quite by chance. I’ve researched the breweries of the UK for 40 years and collected beer labels. I’ve obtained, in this time, labels from Hall Cutlack & Harlock, and their predecessors, A & B Hall (Ely & Crown Brewery, Lincoln), Cutlack & Harlock, Cutlacks of Littleport; and Legge’s Brewery of Ely (barrel label), as well as East Anglian Breweries labels (and Huntingdon Breweries).
I’m still searching for Mills of Wisbech labels (bought by Halls 1938) and Phillips of Downham Market (ceased 1945). Maybe someone out there has some?
Keith
At 2:36 pm on May 29th, 2007, Craig wrote:
I know this is a long shot, but does anyone have any more info/photos of Crown Brewery Lincoln? My parents lived there when they first got married (in the 40’s) but the buildings were sadly long gone by the time i came along and i would love to see them. Please contact; craig.browns@ntlworld.com
At 11:15 pm on June 10th, 2007, Kate Johnson wrote:
Craig, I came across your query when I was looking for information about the Crown Brewery as I believe it was once owned by my great great great grandfather William Henry Brook.When I did a Google search I got a link to an auctioneers which had recently had up for auction a picture of the brewery yard of the Crown brewery which you might be interested in seeing. The link is http://www.thos-mawer.co.uk/Catalogues/AS030307/page27.htm
Hope this helps. I will e-mail this to you directly as well as leaving it here.
Kate
At 8:46 pm on June 12th, 2007, Karl Bedingfield wrote:
Here is that very image. I didn’t think it would be up very long at the auction site.
At 9:48 am on June 13th, 2007, Craig wrote:
Many thanks to Kate for her help and to Karl for his input. Much appreciated.
At 7:27 pm on June 13th, 2007, Chrystine Dimitry wrote:
Are these the buildings that used to be located where Sainsbury’s are now? When I lived in Ely, there was a weekly auction held there. The auction buildings greatly resembled these in the photo.
At 7:41 pm on June 13th, 2007, Craig wrote:
No Chrystine, this site is Crown Brewery in Lincoln and now it houses the local bus station (with a car park on the roof)and a Co-op store!
At 7:50 pm on June 13th, 2007, Karl Bedingfield wrote:
No, these are the Crown Brewery buildings Craig spoke of in Lincoln if you are referring to the picture above in the comments.
You would be referring to auction and cattle market that was indeed where Waitrose now is located.
At 12:01 am on June 14th, 2007, Chrystine Dimitry wrote:
Oh, Waitrose! I thought it was Sainsbury’s when I went back for a visit in 1994. Well, if those are in Lincoln, then they obviously aren’t the ones I remember! But you have to admit, they sort of look the same …
Say, is there still a Cutlack’s home and garden/hardware type shop on the High (or maybe Market) Street in Ely? And would that be the same family?
At 5:58 am on June 14th, 2007, Karl Bedingfield wrote:
Cutlacks used to be situated at the very end of Market Street but relocated a few years ago to Fore Hill.
It’s original location is now the Hereward Pub. You can view some pictures of the Hereward on my Flickr site.
At 2:30 pm on June 26th, 2007, Matt JD Bell wrote:
My great grandma has an unopened bottle of “Rare Old Port”, which she was given on her 21st birthday she is now 83 years old, I would like some information about it, and its current value.
At 9:48 pm on January 26th, 2008, Dawn wrote:
How interesting !!! I am a Harlock and I like to think that I am a descendant of the brewer named Harlock !!!
At 8:09 pm on February 10th, 2008, Barry Chapman wrote:
My first job on leaving school was at Ely Brewery at Fore Hill. I worked alongside my brother, Terry who had a foreman’s job! I remember getting 2 pints of bitter at break times served in our own glass at 15, I didnt like it much but felt I had to drink it couldnt look a sissy! I think the year was 1956. I then was offered a job as apprentice to the Brewery signwriter in his studio which was situated at Queyside just down the road. I had a happy time there watching a very clever and talented artist at work. Unfortunately he died and my apprenticeship came to an end. My brother went on to run several pubs in the Ely area. I moved away but does anyone remember me Barry Chapman but my :mates: called me Horace !!
At 5:50 pm on March 21st, 2008, Verity Marston wrote:
Hello! We live in West Row and in the summer of last year my son (9) dug up a clear glass bottle in our garden with the name Cutlack & Harlock ltd. Ely on it, only a small bottle, we reckon it held 330ml of liquid, the bottle is in a good condition.
Just this week, our youngest son (5) found a rubbery type stopper with matching name on it in his school playing field at west row, he put his treasure in his coat pocket as he knew the ELY was the same as our bottle at home. It is a perfect fit it is black and has a thread.
If any one could shed any light on what may have been in this bottle (looks too small for beer?) and how old it may be, that would be great!
Many thanks
Paul, Verity, Alfie and Toby Marston
At 2:52 pm on April 13th, 2008, susan draper wrote:
Anyone have an answer to Susan’s question?
Please could I have an answer to my query of August 16th 2006. I want to know when the house started to become a beer house and who it was bought from please?
At 1:08 pm on June 14th, 2008, John Murray wrote:
I have an old large brown bottle marked ELY BREWERY.
Is it any use to the museum? Or are they as common as muck?
I don’t know, but before I put it in recycling bin would someone let me know?
Cheers.
At 10:20 am on June 17th, 2008, Paul Hickman wrote:
As a collector of Lincoln beer bottles I was very interested in your informative web site re. Halls of Ely. I have several variations of A&B Hall, Lincoln & Ely examples. I am currently researching Lincoln firms and would appreciate any information regarding when Hall`s association with Lincoln began + any other facts.
At 5:02 pm on June 26th, 2008, Paul Hickman wrote:
*
At 2:30 pm on June 29th, 2008, susan draper wrote:
Looking for a reply to my quest for informtion Paul Hickman replied but I cannot access it. Please send again
At 6:22 pm on August 3rd, 2008, Ray King wrote:
I would be interested in contacting Teresa (see above) as my relations also kept the ‘Bird in Hand’ and the ‘Judes Ferry’
At 5:59 pm on September 8th, 2008, Candy Newman wrote:
Does anyone know if this Brewery has a connection to a family by the name of Goodliffe? They owned a brewery in this area in the 50’s/60’s but i’m not positive which it was – anyone able to enlighten me?
At 3:30 am on October 9th, 2008, Graham clarine wrote:
I am researching my family tree. Does anyone have any information of an accident at Ely Brewery in December 1904. My Great Uncle William Kingston, was badly hurt when a barrel of sugar fell on him while being lifted. He sadly died of his injuries on the 28th of December 1904 aged 17 years. A coroner inquest took place on the 30th of December 1904. I have been unable to find any newspaper articles of this accident so far and would be greatful of any help you can give me.
At 9:49 pm on October 16th, 2008, Robin Maris wrote:
My grandfather was William Cutlack who lived at Barton Mills. I went to the brewery in the school holidays about 1950. Mr. Goodliffe was a director of the brewery.
At 12:01 am on October 22nd, 2008, Eugene wrote:
Looking forward for more information about this. thanks for sharing.
At 12:27 pm on October 31st, 2008, Edward Redvers Heatley wrote:
Dear Sirs
It was interesting to read all about the Ely Brewery that brought back many happy memories of when I served a mechanical Engieering endentured Apprenticeship at the Ely Brewery, CARDIFF between 1950 & 1955
Should any of your contributers require information on the Cardiff Ely Brewery I would be pleased if you would pass on my Email address.
Eddie Healtey
Malta GC
At 8:26 pm on November 16th, 2008, Leonard Denham wrote:
Has anybody any thoughts on why my great-uncle from Kilburn (NW London) should have settled in Fenstanton at the time of the 1901 census? His occupation is stated to be mineral water maker. It is rather too far from Ely for daily work I should think but perhaps somebody with local knowledge might know if there was a nearer plant?
At 4:55 pm on January 11th, 2009, melvyn brown wrote:
My grandfather was landlord of the Marquis of Granby at Guyhirn nr Wisbech from approx 1925 until 1954 which was an ELY ALES pub sometime during this period,
He also ran a coach business from the premises called Marquis Servies do you know if there are any records in the ely ales archives of him or the pub?
Regards Mel.
At 9:37 pm on February 23rd, 2009, Val Shipley wrote:
My husband found a green bottle with A&B Hall Ltd Ely and Lincoln on the side and GS&CoLtd 1924 No10673 on the bottom. It is half full of a liquid with sediment in it and a cork in the top. The botle is in very good condition. He found it under a hedge in a field when he was out ferreting. Could you tell us what the contents would have been and if the date on the bottom relates to the time it would have been bottled?
At 8:43 pm on April 30th, 2009, paul anniss wrote:
Please could you advise me as building a block of flats in peterborough cambs we dug a few bottles with the letters “CUTLACK&HARLOCK LTD” on them with “BAGLEY&CO LTD” KNOTTINGLEY 2796 still in mint condition with the glass marble still in place.
At 10:34 pm on August 3rd, 2009, Andy Augustus wrote:
The occupation of my gg grandfather William Oakman born 1844 is given in the 1881 UK Census as ‘malster’. I am keen to know which Cambridgeshire brewery he worked in, what his job involved and anything else about this relative.
Thanks.
Andy Augustus
Email:andyaugustus@hotmail.com
At 8:14 pm on October 10th, 2009, Andy Augustus wrote:
Can somebody please confirm whether Randolph and George Hall of St Mary’s Green, Ely, around 1891, are part of the Hall brewing family, (A&B Hall&Co)? Indeed, is this the address of the firm’s head office or is it perhaps the Hall family home? Any idea where I can learn more about this enterprising family?
Thanks.
Andy Augustus
Email:andyaugustus@hotmail.com
At 12:09 am on November 17th, 2009, kim walter wrote:
My Great Grandfather was the landlord of The Black Bull in Waterside during various years, as was his brother Henry James Oakman mine (Benjimine Oakman). I know the sign hangs in the museum, but do’es anyone have info on Benjimine, his wife was Margaret. He run the pub till 1916 and noticed they both died that same year, did anything befall them both or was there a epidemic of something in Ely.
Benjimine was one of the sons of Nathan Oakman,and i know he died of heat aploxy, he also worked as a Maltser. Do’es anyone have info or pictures of this family from the late 1800’s or early 1900’s when the Oakman Family
were in and around Ely.
thanks
Kim Walter
Email; kwitchykim@aol.com
At 2:11 am on December 4th, 2009, Sarah King Head wrote:
Hello,
I’m trying to reach the breweries historian Keith Osborne in connection with some photos and beer labels he has (or has access to) of my family’s brewery in Syresham, Northamptonshire: Kings Brewery.
I would be grateful if anyone who knows of him (or he himself) could contact me at the following email address.
Many thanks,
Sarah King Head
kingheadsarah@gmail.com
At 4:28 pm on December 5th, 2009, freda wrote:
Can anyone tell me if there is any connection with the Hall, Cutlack & Harlock Brewers to William Cutlack, father of Susan Cutlack, born about 1810 in Littleport. She went on to marry William Flanders in 1830. I am afraid I have no more details on William Cutlack at all! Any help very much appreciated
email : fredasmith@ntlworld.com
At 8:41 pm on February 21st, 2010, Peter Edwards wrote:
I have recently found a bottle (Brown) with ‘A&B Hall Ltd. Ely and Lincoln’ embossed. The bottle has a screw top but the thread is on the inside of the neck. On the bottom of the bottle it has B685UGB s1928. Is this any interest to you?