Frank Myatt Limited - West End Brewery, Wolverhampton, History, Details, Photographs

The wall advertisement [see second photograph above] is the only tangible evidence I have seen of this brewery, a company that ceased production of beers in 1928 following its takeover by the Holt Brewery Company. The advertisement was painted high on the wall of The Star at Willenhall, a pub that had also ceased to trade as a boozer following its conversion to industrial use. The first photograph shows the company's No.2 Brewery in Raglan Street, Wolverhampton. As can be seen in the image, it was quite a substantial affair - not surprising given that it once served the company's estate of more than 100 public houses. The company's origins can be traced back to 1900 when John Francis Myatt started his own brewery concern at the Cross Keys in Wolverhampton. This was Myatt's home town. He was the son of house agent John Myatt and Constance Cassere. His early years were spent at the family home in Dudley Road. The 1891 census shows that the family moved to Talbot Road and, by this time, John Francis is recorded as a Solicitor's Clerk, the same job as his father. He married Sedgley-born Sarah Caswell in 1900, the same year in which he set up in business at the Cross Keys. It is said that he gained his experience within the licensed trade when working for the Willenhall wine and spirit merchant A. E. Leary. Registered in December 1900, the Midland Home-Brewing Company Limited was established as the formal business name for the entrepreneurial activities of John Francis Myatt. The company name was short-lived and in 1902 the trading name was changed to Frank Myatt Limited. I am curious how such a young man raised the capital for this business venture that enjoyed immediate growth. Outgrowing the original brewery premises, the company acquired the Albany Brewery to expand production. However, in 1909 this brewery was sold to Eley's of Stafford. Frank Myatt went into beer production again when he established a brewery behind the West End Inn at Peel Street, Wolverhampton. A modest estate of public houses was acquired in order to retail the ales produced at the West End Brewery; these were formerly operated by the Manchester Brewery Company Limited. In 1919 Frank Myatt applied his name to a public company that acquired an estate of 124 public houses that were tied to the Old Wolverhampton Breweries Limited. The pub estate was re-shaped through a combination of legislation and rationalisation and the enlarged brewery at Raglan Street supplied 94 properties in 1927 when the company was bought out by the Holt Brewery Company. The Raglan Street brewery was closed during the following year. Frank Myatt continued to work in the brewing industry. He took a seat on the board of the Holt Brewery Company but resigned when they were acquired by Ansell's. This was around the time that he bought the Broadway Brewery at Shifnal. Like many leading figures within the brewery industry, Frank Myatt held public office; he served as the Mayor of Wolverhampton between 1917 to 1918. He died in 1938 at Hill Lodge, the family home at Compton. © Copyright. 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 Staffordshire Genealogy. “The English beer is best in all Europe... it was necessary to drink two or three pots of beer during our parley; for no kind of business is transacted in England without the intervention of pots of beer.” Jarevin de Rochefort

The wall advertisement [see second photograph above] is the only tangible evidence I have seen of this brewery, a company that ceased production of beers in 1928 following its takeover by the Holt Brewery Company. The advertisement was painted high on the wall of The Star at Willenhall, a pub that had also ceased to trade as a boozer following its conversion to industrial use. The first photograph shows the company's No.2 Brewery in Raglan Street, Wolverhampton. As can be seen in the image, it was quite a substantial affair - not surprising given that it once served the company's estate of more than 100 public houses.

The company's origins can be traced back to 1900 when John Francis Myatt started his own brewery concern at the Cross Keys in Wolverhampton. This was Myatt's home town. He was the son of house agent John Myatt and Constance Cassere. His early years were spent at the family home in Dudley Road. The 1891 census shows that the family moved to Talbot Road and, by this time, John Francis is recorded as a Solicitor's Clerk, the same job as his father. He married Sedgley-born Sarah Caswell in 1900, the same year in which he set up in business at the Cross Keys. It is said that he gained his experience within the licensed trade when working for the Willenhall wine and spirit merchant A. E. Leary.

Registered in December 1900, the Midland Home-Brewing Company Limited was established as the formal business name for the entrepreneurial activities of John Francis Myatt. The company name was short-lived and in 1902 the trading name was changed to Frank Myatt Limited. I am curious how such a young man raised the capital for this business venture that enjoyed immediate growth. Outgrowing the original brewery premises, the company acquired the Albany Brewery to expand production. However, in 1909 this brewery was sold to Eley's of Stafford.

Frank Myatt went into beer production again when he established a brewery behind the West End Inn at Peel Street, Wolverhampton. A modest estate of public houses was acquired in order to retail the ales produced at the West End Brewery; these were formerly operated by the Manchester Brewery Company Limited. In 1919 Frank Myatt applied his name to a public company that acquired an estate of 124 public houses that were tied to the Old Wolverhampton Breweries Limited. The pub estate was re-shaped through a combination of legislation and rationalisation and the enlarged brewery at Raglan Street supplied 94 properties in 1927 when the company was bought out by the Holt Brewery Company. The Raglan Street brewery was closed during the following year.

Frank Myatt continued to work in the brewing industry. He took a seat on the board of the Holt Brewery Company but resigned when they were acquired by Ansell's. This was around the time that he bought the Broadway Brewery at Shifnal. Like many leading figures within the brewery industry, Frank Myatt held public office; he served as the Mayor of Wolverhampton between 1917 to 1918. He died in 1938 at Hill Lodge, the family home at Compton.
© Copyright. 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 Staffordshire Genealogy.

“The English beer is best in all Europe... it was necessary to drink two or three pots of beer during our parley; for no kind of business is transacted in England without the intervention of pots of beer.”
Jarevin de Rochefort

History of Frank Myatt Limited at Wolverhampton in the county of Staffordshire. 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.