Cirencester Brewery Ltd. - Cirencester, Gloucestershire, History, Details, Photographs

This brewery was trading at the Bell Inn during the late 18th century. A trade directory published in 1820 records the brewery as Croome, Cripps and Company at Cricklade Street. As can be seen by this trade directory extract from 1856 the company was trading as Cripps, Mullings, Demainbray & Co. Only a few years earlier the trading name was Cripps, Byrch, Mullings & Cripps. Born in Cirencester around 1807, Frederick Cripps was a brewer, banker and magistrate. His brother George also worked in the banking sector. The family were seemingly in control of the brewery when it was later trading as the Cirencester Brewery Company. Having worked his way up the ladder, Thomas Matthews was appointed as brewery manager and the firm acquired a local rival, the Cotswold Brewery, along with a small estate of public houses. Thomas Matthews managed the company for many years before handing over to his son Ernest who remained until 1935. The Cripps family were still actively involved in the company. Son of Edmund Cripps, Frederick William Cripps was chairman and managing director. His son Philip trained at other breweries until he joined the firm in 1928. The company, along with a tied estate of 92 public houses, was acquired by H. & G. Simonds of Reading in 1937. The Cirencester Brewery was inevitably closed. Much of the brewery complex has been demolished though some elements have survived. Part of the buildings were used by a sheet metal firm before the Cotswold District Council acquired the site for proposed demolition. A local campaign group put forward proposals to save part of the old brewery and, following extensive restoration work, Cirencester Arts Workshops opened in 1979. © Copyright. Posted on 16th January 2012 Images supplied by Digital Photographic Images.		If you have a genealogy story or query regarding this brewery you can contact me and I will post it here in addition to including your message within the website pages for Gloucestershire Genealogy. “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Benjamin Franklin

This brewery was trading at the Bell Inn during the late 18th century. A trade directory published in 1820 records the brewery as Croome, Cripps and Company at Cricklade Street. As can be seen by this trade directory extract from 1856 the company was trading as Cripps, Mullings, Demainbray & Co. Only a few years earlier the trading name was Cripps, Byrch, Mullings & Cripps.

Born in Cirencester around 1807, Frederick Cripps was a brewer, banker and magistrate. His brother George also worked in the banking sector. The family were seemingly in control of the brewery when it was later trading as the Cirencester Brewery Company.

Having worked his way up the ladder, Thomas Matthews was appointed as brewery manager and the firm acquired a local rival, the Cotswold Brewery, along with a small estate of public houses.

Thomas Matthews managed the company for many years before handing over to his son Ernest who remained until 1935. The Cripps family were still actively involved in the company. Son of Edmund Cripps, Frederick William Cripps was chairman and managing director. His son Philip trained at other breweries until he joined the firm in 1928.

The company, along with a tied estate of 92 public houses, was acquired by H. & G. Simonds of Reading in 1937. The Cirencester Brewery was inevitably closed.

Much of the brewery complex has been demolished though some elements have survived. Part of the buildings were used by a sheet metal firm before the Cotswold District Council acquired the site for proposed demolition. A local campaign group put forward proposals to save part of the old brewery and, following extensive restoration work, Cirencester Arts Workshops opened in 1979.
© Copyright. Posted on 16th January 2012
Images supplied by Digital Photographic Images.

If you have a genealogy story or query regarding this brewery you can contact me and I will post it here in addition to including your message within the website pages for Gloucestershire Genealogy.

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Benjamin Franklin

History of the Cirencester Brewery Ltd. at Cirencester in the county of Gloucestershire. Research is augmented with photographs, beer labels, pump clips, stories of local folklore, newspaper articles and a genealogy connections section for those studying their family history.