William & Thomas Beardsmore
William & Thomas Beardsmore, 23 Stockwell Head, Hinckley, Leicestershire.
The Plough, described as an old established travellers inn, at the bottom of Market Place, was for sale in March 1810. The owner was a George Cooper, who had been there from at least 1803. The following month, there was a sale of two large coppers, two 20 strike mash tubs and various other brewing items.
In 1827, William Beardsmore was at the Plough, shown as Stockwell Head and was shown as a maltster there in 1835. He was listed in 1846 as a maltster and brickmaker in Back Lane, and also kept the Plough until at least 1855. He seems to have left the pub by 1870, but between 1871 and 1877 he was still shown as a brewer and maltster in Stockwell Head. In 1867 he was also shown as a maltster in Regent Street.
In 1870, William Harrold was actually running the Plough.
However, in 1877 William Palmer was listed as brewing in Stockwell Head. Previously in 1835 William Palmer had kept the Union Inn, Borough. Shortly afterwards the executors of William Palmer were shown as running the Plough, but it remained owned by the Beardsmores. This suggests that they had moved from the pub brewhouse and set up a brewery on a more commercial scale in the area.
Thomas Beardsmore was shown as a brewer and maltster from 1877 to 1887, in both Stockwell and Trinity Lane. In 1884, Mrs Ann Palmer was at the Plough and William Beardsmore was living at 45 Regent Street. William Beardsmore died on 15th January 1888 and left the brewery to his son Thomas. In 1891 the business was still trading as Beardsmore, William & Thomas (F2133). In 1894 Thomas was living at No 45, Regent Street.
In 1894, a TB Beardsmore resigned his position at Worthington’s brewery in Burton, but it is not clear if there were any family connections.
On 14th April 1896, the business was conveyed to Henry E Sugden and Alfred H Yeomans, who were running John Marston & Son Ltd of Burton. The small estate consisted of the following 7 pubs in Hinckley:-
- Dog & Gun, Borough
- Marquis of Granby, Regent Street
- Princes Feathers, Regent Street
- Plough Inn
- New Inn, Castle Street
- Star Inn, Stockwell Head
- White Bear, Coventry Street
The business was still trading as W&T Beardsmore in 1900. In 1913, it was operating as Marston, Thompson & Evershed Ltd, but probably ceased brewing soon afterwards, although the stores are thought to have remained open until around 1925.
The buildings were later demolished for a shopping centre.