Thomas Booth
Thomas Booth, Corbyns Hall Brewery, Tiled House Lane, Pensnett, West Midlands
Thomas Booth started brewing at the Blue Pig Inn, St Andrews Street, Netherton in about 1921 and brewed there until about 1934.
In 1934, he moved to the Red Lion Brewery, Abbey Road, Gornal Wood.
In 1939, he opened the Corbyns Hall Brewery at Pensnett. He died on 6th October 1954. The brewery was sold and later demolished. An estate of 8 pubs and 1 off-licence had been established.
THOMAS BOOTH - BLACK COUNTRY BREWER by John Richards
In his recent book on Batham’s Brewery, John touched on Thomas Booth. He was subsequently contacted by Thomas’ daughter, Charlotte, who clarified a number of facts about her father. In this article John puts the record straight.
Thomas Booth was born into a Black Country mining family in 1882, who then lived in Tory Street, Old Hill. He married Lousia Westwood in 1907 at St. Andrew's Church, Netherton, moving to Withymoor Road, Darby End, Netherton; where he worked as a 'doggie' (underground manager), at the Warren's Hall Colliery. Lousia was a nailmaker, her nailshop at the rear of the terraced house. Their daughter Charlotte was born here 31st October 1907.
In 1914, Tom Booth (aka Tommy Booth - pronounced Tummy), rented a fish & chip shop on the corner of Northfield Road and Cole Street They only opened at night and Saturday lunchtime. Tom fried and Lousia served, Charlotte chipped the potatoes. Lousia was not happy with the shop, so Tom - who now worked at the New Golden Orchard Colliery - approached Daniel Batham junior, owner of the King William Inn, 9, Cole Street, a short distance away, regarding the vacant monthly tenancy. He was appointed on 14th July 1916.
The King William, then part of a terrace and now rebuilt, was the second of the Batham properties. The first was the White Horse Inn, High Street, Cradley. Tom Booth continued to work as a collier during the day, while Lousia acted as landlady helped by Charlotte and the family. This was not a problem, as opening hours were considerably restricted during World War One. They sold the range of Batham's beers, brewed at the Delph. Prior to 1904, the King William, had, like most public houses in Netherton, brewed its own range of ale.
There was little or no demand for bitter in the Black Country, mild - then as now - was the popular drink, normally brewed with wood cured malt, making it as dark as Guinness, sweet and strong. However, Darby End, Netherton, tipplers taste buds were different; they preferred a light mild. Very dark beers were difficult to retail. Batham's Bitter dates from the early 1950's, prior to this they only brewed a range of milds.
A shrewd Black Countryman, Tom Booth quickly realised that one sure way to attract and hold a customer was by giving the 'come again' top up, with both on and off sales. It became known as the Long Pull, a source of constant irritation to local magistrates and police because it was not covered bv legislation.
Tom Booth remained at the King William for five years, leaving Bathams on 21st January 1921. However, he only moved a short distance to the Blue Pig Inn, St. Andrew's Street, Netherton, which he bought from Dudley brewer George Henry Downes on 23rd October 1920, paying £2,300 for the premises, brewhouse and plant at the rear, the licences, fixtures, fittings and trade utensils. The purchase price also included a plot of land shouldering on King Street, Dudley.
The property was sold subject to the manager, Herbert Dunn, remaining until his notice to quit had expired 25th October 1920. As it happened he stayed on as licencee for another three months. An entrepreneur by nature, Tom Booth re-opened the dismantled brewery at the rear of the terraced Blue Pig Inn, with the assistance of Netherton brewer Solomon Cooksey, who also brewed for Joseph Davies, the Wheelwright's Arms, Castle Street. His son, Solomon junior, later brewed at the Old Swan Inn, better known locally and nationally as Ma Pardoe's.
In addition to the pale mild, Tom Booth brewed an Old Ale for the Winter, and a popular Christmas Ale. The free trade was slowly developed. Booth's beers were keenly priced, wholesale and retail, the quality high and the measures generous. Unlike his peers, he was not a big beer drinker; he preferred whisky, usually in tea.
A keen pigeon flyer, Tom Booth won many prizes with his birds, both in Netherton and Lower Gornal. The family still regularly polish a large award, a silver cup.
He was confident enough to invest in his first public house, the Sampson & Lion, 45, Halesowen Road, Netherton. An off-licence in Balds Lane, Lye. was added shortly after.
Dudley and Netherton common brewers, who held regular town meetings, supported the borough Justices in their opposition to the long pull. The only Black Country brewer who did not was Thomas Booth, and as a result, he was regarded as a champion of the working man.
Inevitably, the Justices had their way, when 'topping up' was prohibited by the Licensing Act, 1921, though the practice continued for some considerable time. But, it is interesting to reflect that due to fudged government legislation in 1994, 90% of 20 fluid ounces now represents a pint.
Daughter Charlotte (Lottie) Booth made history on 20th October 1932, when she returned to the King William Inn as licensee. She was 25, the youngest single landlady in the old Dudley Borough. Now the property of Hansons, Upper High Street, Dudley, she remained here until 19th April 1934.
Deeds date the purchase of the Red Lion Inn & Brewery, Abbey Road, Lower Gornal, to 4th August 1935. Previously the business was owned by slag merchant William Elwell. Tom Booth paid £3,650 for the property; taking the licence at the same time.
Charlotte married Francis Charles Green in April, 1935, at St. Andrew's Church, Netherton, and celebrated by taking the licence of the Old Royal Oak, Orchard Lane, Lye, on 15 March 1935, which her father had earlier bought. They were landlord and landlady for three years, leaving on 27 May 1938, when the property was sold to Julia Hanson & Sons, Dudley.
Gradually the Red Lion Brewery - which had been dismantled - was completely rebuilt and later expanded. However, the style and character of beer changed to a heavy, dark, malty mild, to suit the Gornal tastebuds. Once again, it proved to be successful. A horse and dray were soon purchased to supply the increasing free trade. He also brewed a strong dark ale that was eventually bottled by Edwin Holden of Woodsetton, see:- Holden's Brewery Ltd. This was the first of the bottled beers. Consolidation, followed by expansion, was the simple Booth philosophy of business.
Based on the popularity of Booth's Ales, a tied estate was the next logical step. The first local house acquired was the Crown Inn, Holloway Street, Lower Gornal, on 14th January 1937; it was managed for three months by son George Booth. As time passed, others were added in the following order:
- Cross Keys, Ruiton Street, Lower Gornal.
- Duke of Wellington, 46, Wolverhampton Street, Dudley.
- Tilted Barrel, Bloomfield Road, Tipton.
- Miners Arms, 25 Ruiton Street, Lower Gornal. See: Miners Arms (Lower Gornal)
- Old Royal Oak, Orchard Lane, Lye.
- Off-licence, Gate Street, Sedgley.
- Blue Ball, Blue Ball Lane, Cradley.
- Plough & Harrow. High Street. Kinver.
Lousia Booth died on 12th February 1935, aged 52. Her widower Thomas Booth, re-married two years later in 1937. His second wife was Annie Round, a widow. They lived at the Red Lion Inn until 1939, when the couple moved to Pensnett, where Tom owned land and a three storey Victorian house, Rookery View, Tiled House Lane, which takes its name from the demolished Tiled House.
That was the year he opened a new brewery in Corbyn's Hall Lane, Pensnett, which he christened, naturally enough, the Corbyn's Hall Brewery. The name was taken from the old Manor House nearby, now demolished. It was built at the rear of Rookery View, Tiled House Lane, separated by his pasture land.
During World War Two, Tom Booth brewed a limited range of beers. He had no choice as raw materials were in very short supply. Three of them were bottled at first by N. F. Bird, Crown Brewery, Bloxwich. but later Edwin Holden bottled the range.
Labels have survived and are well remembered in the Black Country. They feature a perching rook as a central logo, taken from the rookery nearby.
Frank Green died in 1938, Charlotte re-married in April, 1939, and moved into the Red Lion with her second husband George Turner, and stayed until it was sold a few years later.
Thomas Booth sold the Red Lion Inn & Brewery to Julia Hanson, Upper High Street, Dudley, on 6th November 1942. He bought his last public house in April, 1943, the Plough & Harrow Inn, High Street, Kinver. He held the licence until 1950. After his death on 6th October 1952, the premises were sold to Daniel Batham & Sons, Ltd, Delph Brewery, Brierley Hill. Which, by a strange quirk of fate. completed the Batham circle.
Thomas Booth was a popular, if somewhat controversial Black Country character. He died aged 70, and is buried at St. Andrew's Church, Netherton, where numerous other Netherton and Dudley common brewers have been laid to rest. Rookery View and Corbyn's Hall Brewery were sold, and have since been demolished and the area developed. The rookery too has gone.
Sadly, a chapter closed on a successful Black Country brewer and public house owner.