Wigan's Black Lion Brewery

Wigan's Black Lion Brewery, Great Square, Braintree, Essex.

Controlled by William Hawkes & Co, also at Bishops Stortford, in 1869 and acquired by Wigans in 1890.

Sold to Benskins Ltd 1898 with 8 public houses.

Ceased brewing 1916 but used by them until at least 1933.

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

William Hawkes was born in Stisted in 1826 and became a Braintree builder and property owner. In 1869 he purchased the property in the town centre, the Black Lion Posting Inn, and converted this into a brewery which backed onto Little Square. He also purchased maltings at Black Notley, being listed in 1882 as a maltster. When he commenced brewing, he purchased his malt from the Gowers Farm malting at Stisted.

In 1890 the Black Lion Brewery 3 licensed houses offices and maltings were sold to Mr Wigans for £11,260, the Wigans then sold to Benskins Ltd, Watford Brewery, in 1898, with an additional 5 pubs. Six of these were in Braintree, one each in Rayne and Stisted. William Hawkes died in 1892 at the age of sixty-six. The brewery finally ceased brewing in 1916 and was used by Benskins Ltd as a depot, being listed in 1933, when Mr O.J. Ollett was the manager. A Samual Hawkes was a small Bocking ironfounder who cast the interior columns for a malthouse in Church Lane, Bocking, in 1849.