The Red Lion Brewery

The Red Lion Brewery was a long-established London brewing concern whose exact origins remain uncertain. Historical accounts connect it with a beerhouse or brewery called the Lyon, mentioned in a 1492 licence granted to John Merchant for the export of ale, and with beerhouses recorded in John Stow's survey of London published in 1597. The brewery stood in East Smithfield beside the Thames, near the later St Katharine Docks and London Docks. Its position allowed malt to be brought from the river directly into brewery warehouses, linking production to London's port infrastructure. In the late sixteenth century, the brewery appears to have passed through a mixture of Crown and private interests. Families associated with it included the Poine, Long, Harrison and Deane families. An interest was reportedly granted by Elizabeth I to Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. Following Dudley's death, the property interests were eventually consolidated under James Desmaistres, who employed John Parsons as brewer. Parsons leased the premises but owned and operated the brewing business, creating a family dynasty that remained associated with the brewery for four generations. John Parsons Jr. achieved distinction beyond the brewery. He became a commissioner of victualling for the Royal Navy, master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers and Lord Mayor of London, and was knighted during the reign of James II. His son Humphrey Parsons took over the business in 1717. Humphrey was especially associated with the brewery's porter, Parsons' Black Champagne, which was supplied to Louis XV of France and acquired a reputation in London. His public profile also extended into politics, as he served as a Member of Parliament and twice as Lord Mayor. The Goodwyne family acquired the brewing business around 1779. The Hoare family, whose banking business was C. Hoare & Co., joined as partners in 1802 and became sole owners in 1825. During the nineteenth century the brewery operated under the Hoare & Co. name and used a Toby Jug trademark. Although the brewing business and the physical premises did not always have identical ownership, the Hoares controlled the enterprise for much of this period. In 1833, they held the brewery premises jointly with Frederick Woodbridge. The East Smithfield site survived major dock development and was eventually enclosed by the changing geography of London's docklands. It lay near St Katharine's, now St Katharine's Way, and between St Katharine Docks and the western, or Hermitage, basin of the London Docks. Descriptions from the nineteenth century emphasize the scale of manual work involved in transferring malt from riverside wharves to the brewery's storage buildings. In 1924, Hoare & Co. bought the Lion Brewery Company of Lambeth, adding another London brewery to its portfolio. Charrington & Co. acquired Hoare & Co. in 1933. Production at the Red Lion Brewery ended in 1934, marking the closure of the historic East Smithfield operation. The brewery buildings no longer survive as a coherent complex, and the site is now occupied by the South Quay housing estate. A large entrance arch on St Katharine's Way may indicate the former brewery entrance, while the nearby passage known as Alderman Stairs retains a historical association with Humphrey Parsons. The Red Lion Brewery is therefore best understood as a defunct heritage brewery and a chapter in the history of London's brewing, banking and dockside commerce.

• 1934

  Brewing ends

  [1]Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Production at the Red Lion Brewery ceased.

• 1933

  Acquisition by Charrington & Co.

  [1]Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Charrington & Co. bought Hoare & Co., bringing the Red Lion Brewery under its ownership.

• 1924

  Lion Brewery Company acquisition

  [1]Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Hoare & Co. purchased the separate Lion Brewery Company of Lambeth.

• 1825

  Hoares become sole business owners

  [1]Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  The Hoare family became sole owners of the Red Lion Brewery business.

• 1802

  Hoare family enters ownership

  [1]Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  The Hoare family joined the business as junior partners.

• 1779

  Goodwyne family acquisition

  [1]Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  The Goodwyne family acquired the Red Lion brewing business from the Parsons family.

• 1717

  Humphrey Parsons takes over

  [1]Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Humphrey Parsons assumed control of the brewing business and later became associated with the brewery's celebrated porter.

• 1597

  Association with Stow's survey

  [1]Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  The brewery's origins are linked to the beerhouses described in John Stow's survey of London.

• 1492

  Early ale-export reference

  [1]Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  A licence granted to brewer John Merchant for exporting ale is understood to refer to the establishment later associated with the Red Lion.

A historic London brewery associated with riverfront commerce, porter production and prominent brewing families. In its later period, it operated as part of the Hoare brewing interests before being acquired by Charrington & Co.

• Porter

  Parsons' Black Champagne

  A porter associated with Humphrey Parsons and the Red Lion Brewery during the eighteenth century. It was reportedly supplied to Louis XV of France and became known in London through its distinctive name and reputation. The product represents the brewery's best-documented historic specialty, although surviving source material does not provide a complete recipe or detailed production specification.

• Ale

  Red Lion Brewery ales

  The brewery produced and exported ale from its London premises from at least the late medieval or Tudor period. Available historical material identifies ale as an important early product but does not establish a complete range of named brands or recipes.

• 1933

  Charrington & Co. acquires Hoare & Co.M&A

  Background

  The Red Lion Brewery was operating under the Hoare & Co. ownership structure when Charrington & Co. purchased the company.

  Action taken

  Charrington & Co. acquired Hoare & Co. and thereby took control of the Red Lion Brewery.

  Aftermath

  Brewing at the East Smithfield site ended the following year, bringing the brewery's operating history to a close.

  Source

• 1924

  Acquisition of the Lion Brewery Company of LambethM&A

  Background

  Hoare & Co. already controlled the Red Lion Brewery and expanded its London brewing interests through the purchase of the separate Lion Brewery Company in Lambeth.

  Action taken

  Hoare & Co. acquired the Lion Brewery Company of Lambeth.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition broadened Hoare & Co.'s brewing holdings before the company itself was purchased by Charrington & Co. in 1933.

  Source

1. 1Red Lion Breweryen.wikipedia.org