Henry Thrale MP : owner 1758-1781
Henry Thrale had been brought into the brewer business by his father in 1748. Ten years later, after his father's death, Henry Thrale inherited the brewery aged 28.
Henry Thrale had been brought into the brewer business by his father in 1748. Ten years later, after his father's death, Henry Thrale inherited the brewery aged 28.
Thomas Hudson.|link=node|align=right]When public affairs and his manifold interests were taking up much of his time, Edmund Halsey having no sons to follow him, brought a young man into the business. This was Ralph Thrale, born in 1698, the only son of Ralph Thrale, the Elder (1665-1711), a yeoman, of Offley, Hertfordshire, and Anne Halsey, the sister of Edmund Halsey.
Henry, and his father Ralph before him, both owned the powerful Anchor Brewery and were also both Members of Parliament for Southwark. They were wealthy and enjoyed a coterie of servants, maids and valets.
On the southern bank of London's river Thames, between St. Saviour's Church and Southwark Bridge Road, with its principal entrance in Park Street, was the renowned Anchor Brewery, which has held a reputation for strong ale from very early times. The Anchor Brewery no longer exists, but the Anchor Public House stand on the same site at 34 Park Street, Southwark, London SE1 9DN. This on the south bank of the river Thames, near London Bridge and Shakepeare's original Globe Theatre. It is about 250 metres north of Thrale Street.
Despite the new ownership of John Perkins and David Barclay, for sometime after the sale the brewery continued to be known as Thrale's Brewery. It is known to have still been known as Thrale & Co. in 1790.
Visitors to Barclay's brewery during the 19th century included many of the leading figures of the day ranging from King Edward VII, Prince of Wales, to Bismarck and Napoleon III. But one other visitor sparked an international incident. The Austrian General Haynau was notorious for the brutality with which he put down rebellions in Hungary and Italy.
In the early 1700s a style emerged that was popular with the laboring class of England, namely the street and river porters of London. The style was dark and characterized by roasted malts and became know as a Porter. Arthur Guinness took the idea back to Ireland, increased the dark roasted profile, and labeled it "Extra Stout". Thus emerged the new style of Stouts.
Peter the Great came to love the Porters during his trips to England and requested them to be sent to the Russian Imperial Courts. Unfortunately, the beer did not survive the long journey and arrived spoiled. The London brewers quickly responded by increasing the alcohol and hops, making a rich and hearty brew to survive the export. The original creation was "Thrale's Entire Porter", and was a huge success in Russia under Catherine the Great.
John Courage was a shipping agent at Aberdeen. He moved to London and founded a business in 1787 when he purchased a brewery in Southwark. The company - known as Courage & Donaldson between 1797 and 1851 - was a London brewery. In the inter-war years it extended its operations to the England's Home Counties, however, its customer base rested on the thirst of London's dockers. In the 1950s the docks began to decline. Courage responded with mergers and acquisitions most of them in southern England. In 1955 the company merged with its great Southwark rival Barclay & Perkins.
Anchor brewery in Southwark was established by James Monger the Elder of Southwark in 1616 in the grimly-named Dead Man's Place, next to the site where the original Globe Theatre used to stand after it was burnt down in 1613. Monger was a Citizen and Clothworker of London.
In 1665 the brewhouse was in the tenure and occupation of James Monger, the Godson of the founder who had died in 1657. Halsey amassed a large fortune supplying beer to the army.