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Flower and Sons Ltd., Brewers, of Stratford-upon-Avon

Description

Records of the firm of Flower and Sons Ltd., brewers of Stratford-upon-Avon, 1828-1966, with related deeds and papers, 1616-1958

  • Finding No

    DR227

  • Date

    1616-1966

  • Extent

    116 volumes 455 items

  • Status

    open

  • Level

    collection

  • Associated people

    Flower and Sons Ltd,

  • Enquire

    Enquire about this object

Related material

DR1059: Flower and Sons Ltd, brewers, [and records of Manor House Hotel (Leamington) Ltd] 1776-1993;

DR325/900-1177: Business and personal papers of the firm and family, as clients of Slatter Son and More, solicitors of Stratford-upon-Avon, 19th and 20th centuries

DR608: Papers from the effects of Albert F. Cobbold, cooper at Flowers' Brewery, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1901-1959

DR935: Photographs and miscellaneous printed ephemera relating to Flowers Brewery and the Flower family, 1948-c1970

For a detailed study of the firm see Jonathan Reinarz, 'A Social History of a Midland Brewery: Flower and Sons Brewery, 1870-1914' (Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Warwick, 1998)

Admin History

The business was founded in Stratford in 1831 by Edward Flower (1805-1883), who had family connections with the Fordham brewing family in Hertfordshire.

A brewery was built on land between Birmingham and Clopton roads, with a canal frontage for delivery and distribution. The business flourished, his sons Charles and Edgar were taken into partnership and in 1870 larger premises were opened on the Birmingham Road, the original brewery maintaining an administrative function with reduced production.

The first `tied' public house was linked to the firm in 1836 and their inn holdings increased gradually, expanding rapidly after incorporation as a Limited Liability Co. in 1888, with the taking over of smaller breweries to acquire their property stock.

The export trade always formed a large sector of the business, the `India Pale Ale' being of especial note.

Members of the Flower family continued to control the brewery until its takeover and subsequent closure by Whitbreads in the 1970s.

Allied to their business interests, the Flowers, particularly Charles Edward (d. 1892) and his successors, played a prominent role in the development of the Shakespeare Memorial (later Royal Shakespeare) Theatre in Stratford.