Thomas Daniell & Sons
Thomas Daniell & Sons, West Bergholt Brewery, West Bergholt, Essex.
Founded c.1815.
Registered and merged with Daniell Brothers & Co. of Colchester in 1887 to form Daniell & Sons Breweries Ltd.
Acquired by Truman, Hanbury & Buxton & Co. Ltd. 1958.
Brewing ceased 1959, maltings demolished 1989 and brewery converted to residential use.
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
A Thomas Daniell was born in 1797, being made a Freeman of the City of Colchester in 1815. He evidently was a farmer owning a farmstead also known as Armoury Farm, situated behind the brewery. He had two sons who also joined in the brewing profession, Louis Charles born in 1864, who was Head Brewer in 1923 and Leonard Wilberforce, born in 1873, who succeeded his brother also as Head Brewer. He was also Managing Director, when he died in 1947.
A third son, John Gordon, born in 1885 was Head Brewer at Young & Co (Wandsworth), London. The fourth son, Frederick Stanley, born in 1880, was to become the Chairman of Daniells from 1947 to 1957; he died two years later. His son Peter Wilberforce Daniell, followed his father as Chairman until 1959, he then became Vice Chairman on the take over of the company by Truman, Hanbury & Buxton & Co. Ltd., London.
During this long family hierarchy in a major Essex brewery concern there was a title change to Thomas Daniell and Sons in 1887, when the company was one of the earliest breweries to become incorporated, when a merger was made with Daniell Brothers and Co, Castle Brewery, Colchester.
In 1931 at the time of the great trade recession, there were 100 employees who contributed to the year’s profits of £16,840. The company changed its name again to Daniell & Sons Breweries Ltd. and used this title up to the takeover by Trumans in 1958.
Brewing ceased in January, 1959 and Trumans continued to use the large site as a regional office and depot until closure in 1986.
During 1989 part of the brewery buildings were demolished, the remainder were converted for multiple residential use in 1991.
At the time of take-over there were 150 public houses.
An assortment of images of the brewery
The brewery in 1992
The brewery in 1920
The brewery in 1992
The brewery in 1992
The brewery in 1992
The brewery in 1992
The brewery in 1992
The brewery in 1985
The brewery in 1985
The brewery in 1985
The brewery in 1992
The brewery in 1992
The brewery in 1992. Courtesy Ian Peaty
The brewery in 1979
The brewery in 1979
The brewery in 1951
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An assortment of views of the brewery taken in 2011. Courtesy "Bank House Kennels"
The plaque reads: "'TO THE HONOUR OF THE MEN FROM DANIELL AND SONS' BREWERIES WEST BERGHOLT AND COLCHESTER WHO SERVED WITH THE BRITISH FORCES IN THE GREAT EUROPEAN WAR 1914-1919"
