Background - Manx Breweries

The initial research for this set of pages derives from Appendix 5 of 'Industrial Archaeology of the Isle of Man' of 1972 which gives a provisional list arranged in chronological order (here re-arranged geographically). The date is mostly based on the appearance of the Brewery in Directories and newspapers, thus reflecting the period 1790 onwards, the later history is covered by Tim Crumplin in 'A Time of Manx Cheer', 2002. Another source of information has emerged - the Castle Rushen papers in Manx Museum have been sorted and amongst them are the annual list of applications (and approvals) for Public House licences (though not all years appear to have survived) which also include some Brewer's licences - some discussion of these is within my 'Inns section'.

Historical Introduction

The earliest Manx record of a brewery is a complaint in the Garrison Roll of 1428 that the 'lead' belonging to Peel Castle was broken, with the loss of much ale and the consequent need to fetch ale from nearby Peel whereby much was lost in the carriage across the river. A licence to own a brewing pan has been required from the time of the earliest Manorial rolls - this Bras Rent (probably derived from Brasseur - brewer, the actual brewing vessel being made of copper) was charged at different rates which may indicate sizes. Canon Quine pointed out that the Manorial Roll of 1511/1515 indicated some 177 breweries on the Island many of which were licenced to millers who would presumably also act as Maltsers; many of these could be assumed to provide 'jough' for smaller public houses, possibly adjacent to the Mill. It would also appear from the old Manx phrase 'going around like a brewing pan' that the brewing pans were moved from one farm to another as needed.

Dickenson has some discussion of the period around the 1640s when it appears the Stanley administration tightened its tax gathering on brewers and sealed (ie officially sactioned) measures. The following table (Table 3.3) gives the number of Licensed Alehousekeepers and Retail Brewers derived from various sources

(Sources: Lib. Plit. 1577 [Feb.1576]; Lib. Scacc. 1599, inter 26-26(2); Lib. Scacc. 1609, inter 36-7; Lib. Scacc. 1640, 100-111; Lib. Scacc. 1648, 14-18; Lib. Scacc. 1649, 11-13; Lib. Scacc. 1650, 15-16; Lib. Scacc. 1651, 3-7; Lib. Scacc. 1652, 6-10; Lib. Scacc. 1653, 13-16.)

However it would appear that there was a considerable number of unlicenced Brewers (some of whom may have been quarterland farmers rather than Dickenson's assumed Alehousekeepers and retail brewers. The following table (Table 3.4) shows Unlicensed Alehousekeepers and Retail Brewers

Sources: Lib. Scacc. 1640, 79-98; Lib. Scacc. 1647, 84-9; Lib. Scacc. 1650, 17, 30, 33, 40, inter 40-1, 41, 57; Lib. Scacc. 1651, 11, 16, 17; Lib. Scacc. 1654, 1, 2, inter 2-3 (5, 6, 9, 10, 11), 7; Lib. Scacc. 1663, inter 35-6 (1, 3, 4), 49; Lib. Scacc. 1682, inter 15-16 (1-4); Lib. Scacc. 1696, 27-8; Lib. Scacc. 1699, 51, 53, 55, 64.

Raw materials

The key raw materials for beer are barley, pure water and fuel to heat the brewing pans. The barley must first be dried (in a kiln) and then allowed to sprout under carefully controlled conditions of moisture and temperature - this sprouted barley, in which the starch in the grain has been converted to sugar is then killed by heat resulting in partial caramelisation which affects the taste and colour of the beer. The malt is added to water in the brewing pans brought to a boil, cooled then the yeast is added and allowed to ferment - a long slow fermentation producing the better beer.

Barley will grow almost anywhere in the British Isles, though in Northern Scotland a hardier, though inferior, variety called Bere may be better suited to the climate. English grown barley, presumeably because of its larger starch content, has generally been regarded as the best for brewing. England has for a long time taxed the production of malt and after the Act of Union also imposed in Scotland, though such taxes were not imposed in the Island.

Laws

1736 - Malt importation prohibited

1748 - duties on imported Ale raised from 2s 6d to 7s 6d ; but Malt allowed to be imported with a duty of 7s 6d a bowle (boll ?)

T Quayle, writing in 1812, notes:

Although there are not any fiscal regulations or tax imposed on malt, or on beer, the profession of a maltster is unknown ; and there is not a peck of malt to be bought in the island. It is manufactured by the public brewers alone, and by a very few individuals, who make malt for their own consumption. The breweries, therefore, which are numerous, have the manufacture in their own hands.

In the year 1780, there were but seven or eight public breweries ; there are now about twenty-four in the island. With the increased competition, the quality of their beer has not improved.

Hannah Bullock, writing in 1816, states

In 1790, there were but four breweries in the island; at this time there are more than thirty, and many of them individually doing more business than the whole collectively at that time

however she goes on to say:

The brewer and maltster are combined in one, and all these being free from duties of every kind, must necessarily leave an open field for great profits, especially as the prices of the articles manufactured are nearly as high as in England, where they are subject to such heavy charges, and in consequence one would expect that large fortunes would be speedily realized by those entering on these concerns; but I believe, especially of late years, that the numbers engaged are rather too many for the consumption, and the payments of the publican and others too irregular to admit of the full advantages to be expected.

Bawden et al state that there were 18 breweries in 1793, 22 by 1810 and 23 in 1837 - however the early numbers are not backed up by entries in his tabular list (Crumplin also comments on the discrepancy between descriptive section and appendix). Moore (p593) also quotes the 1810 figure, but without giving any reference, presumeably they are based on the number of brewer's licences issued. The exact number of breweries c. 1790 thus seems open to dispute, though Thomas Quayle's is probably closer to the actual number, the discrepancy with the number of licencees might be explained by a number of small scale publican-brewers. Both Quayle and Bullock agree that there were few breweries as such and that these operated on a small scale, presumeably most jough was still being brewed locally by publican-brewers, but that their number had greatly increased by 1815. Bawden suggests that it was the 'growth of a more sophisticated society, which started with the influx of half-pay officers and insolvent debtors and continued with the rise of the tourist trade' which gave rise to a demand for larger quantities of beer as well as for a more consistent quality. Whilst the tourist trade became of major importance in determing the structure of Manx brewing industry later in the 19th century, it is unlikely that it played any part pre 1830 excepting possibly the alien tastes of the new immigrants. However their numbers are unlikely to be the cause which may lie more with the changes in Manx society wrought by the longer term effects of the 1765 Act of Revestment and the Napoleonic wars which saw many changes to Manx agriculture as well as a significant rise in town populations.

Crumplin dates the start of the modern (or industial) era in brewing as the end of the Napoleonic wars c.1815 - he describes the typical brewing venture prior to this period as antiquated and poorly kept, however the combination of low capital outlay (typically £200 to £300, the premises generally being rented), the use of credit for acquiring the stocks of barley, malt and barrels etc whilst selling beer for cash, allowed initial expenses to be quickly recouped which encouraged a considerable mobility in tenant brewers.

One source, apparently not used by Bawden et al, for the starting dates for the early breweries are the deeds of sale required to be kept from 1704 - these may be of ground intended for the erection of a brewery or more commonly the notice of an existing brewery when in the absence of plans a textual description of adjacent buildings was given - for the period pre 1841 these deeds generally referred to as North and South Side Sales (NSS or SSS) - some of these are given in the following list though there may well be many more references as not all deeds have been examined.. These deeds are referenced by the year and month they passed through the court though the actual deed might have been written several years prior.

List

Clinch's Brewery, North Quay Douglas c.1880

A table, arranged by location, derived from Bawden et al, is given below, the reference number is that given by Bawden.

References

J.R.Dickinson The Lordship of Man under the Stanleys Manchester: Chetham Soc CS41 1996 (ISBN 1-85936-037-8)
Tim Crumplin & Roger Rawcliffe A Time of Manx Cheer,Douglas: Manx Experience 2002 (ISBN 1-873120-54-0)
T.A. Bawden et al Industrial Archaeology of The Isle of Man David & Charles (0-7153-5440-X) 1972
Ian Donnachie A History of the Brewing Industry in Scotland Edinburgh: John Donald 1979 (ISBN 0-84976-496-6)
H.S. Corran A History of Brewing Newton Abbot: David & Charles (0-7153-6735-8) 1975