F.W.Soames & Co. Ltd Round Black Backed Steel

F.W.Soames & Co. Ltd black backed steel tray dating from the late 1920s. The Nag's Head Brewery was founded in 1750. The brewery was acquired by Henry Aspinall in 1874 who renamed it the Wrexham Brewery Co. In 1879 the Company was purchased by Arthur Soames who put his son, Frederic William Soames, in charge as manager and traded as Soames & Co. By the turn of the century Frederic had transformed the business. Trading as F.W.Soames & Co., the brewery was extended and modernised in 1894, and Soames owned over one hundred public houses. A new five-story brewhouse was built in 1920. Frederic's death and the great depression of 1929 led to hard times for the Company which entered into liquidation in 1930. In 1931 the Company merged with Island Green Brewery Co. Ltd, also based in Wrexham, and Dorsett, Owen & Co of Oswestry to form Border Breweries (Wrexham) Ltd. All brewing was concentrated at the Nag's Head Brewery. Border Breweries (Wrexham) Ltd was acquired by Marston, Thompson & Evershed Ltd in 1984 and the brewery was closed.