J R & J Brightwen

J. R. and J. Brightwen, The White Hart Hotel, Market Place, Coggeshall, Essex.

This ancient hostelry dated back to the time of King Henry VIII, when it was called "Maykynes" and belonged to the Paycocke family.

A John Brightwen was one of several cloth petitioners who gave his name to a document in 1642. He was elected Parish Register on 30th September, 1653. An Isaac Brightwen was a merchant in 1819, in the same year that Robert Brightwen was recorded as a brewer. The partnership was evidently divided with Isaac listed as running a malting in the town, with Robert as a brewer, being listed in Directories in 1823 and 1826.

On Tuesday 16th September, 1828, as a result of the business being bankrupt, a sale took place at the White Hart Hotel. It was called "The Coggeshall Brewery" and consisted of a malting (at The Chapel (Coggeshall)), dwelling houses, cottages and several acres of land. Evidently improvements had recently been carried out to the brewery which was to the rear and connected to the White Hart posting house and hotel.

There were also included the following tied public houses:-

• The Bird-In-Hand, Coggeshall
• The Black Horse, Coggeshall
• The Brick and Tile, Copford
• The Bull, Coggeshall
• The Chapel, Coggeshall. See:- The Chapel (Coggeshall)
• The Compass, Great Totham
• The Hog, Heybridge
• The Queen's Head, Tolleshunt D'Arcy
• The White Hart Hotel, Coggeshall
• The Woolpack, Coggeshall
• The White Horse, Coggeshall
• The White Horse, Little Totham
• The White Horse, Maldon
• The White Horse, Mundon

It is interesting to note that four of the fourteen licensed houses were called The White Horse.

The Bull Public House prior to 1731 was known as "Cocke-Atte-Hilles". The Hog and waste land at Heybridge was purchased by Benjamin Wood, Hop Merchant, Collings Wells and Joshiah Woodcock, brewers of Chelmsford. Included with The Hog were several cottages and a Granary on the River Blackwater, sold for £660, and The Anchor went to Wells for £600.

The Fullbridge Granary was purchased by the Chelmsford brewers for £1,730, but the Mill Granary was bought by James Beard, Coggeshall brewers, see:- John Beard. The White Horse, Mundon, was bought for £580 by the Baddow Brewery Co. Ltd, The White Horse, Maldon, for £850 by the Writtle Brewery Co. Ltd. The liquor supply was piped direct from St Peter's Well, and was described in the sale catalogue as "a splendid supply". A further sale on 24th August, 1911, on the expiry of C.T.Thomas's lease (no doubt of the Tiptree Heath Brewery, see: Charles Thomas Thorn & Co) was subject at £50 per annum to F. W. Morton.

From ESSEX BREWERS - The Malting and Hop Industries of the County by Ian P Peaty 1992 now out of print ISBN 978 1 873966 02 4