Farnham United Breweries Ltd Copper Ashtray

Farnham United Breweries Ltd copper ashtray dating from the 1920s. Robert Tyler Barrett and John Barrett were brewers based in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The Barrett family began brewing in Flaxfield, near Basingstoke, in 1830. In 1845 John Barrett purchased the South Wing of a building in Farnham, Surrey, and converted it into the Lion Brewery. In 1878 the Flaxfield operations were moved to Wote Street in Basingstoke. The Wote Street premises were also named the Lion Brewery. George Timmer founded his own rival Lion Brewery on West Street in Farnham, Surrey, in 1860. In 1881 John Barrett purchased the East Wing of the same Farnham building, a malting business owned by the Sampson family. In 1889 George Trimmer amalgamated his own business with that of R.T. & J.Barrett registering the Company as Farnham United Breweries Ltd. Trimmer turned Barrett's Red Lion Brewery in Farnham into a malting complex which supplied malted barley to the Lion Brewery in West Street which became the centre of the new firm's brewing activities. George Trimmer died in 1892 leaving the maltings to his family who, in 1903, further extended the riverside buildings and installed the latest malting equipment. The Red Lion Brewery in Basingstoke ceased brewing after the amalgamation and was used as a depot until 1911. The Company was acquired by Courage & Co. Ltd in 1927 with 196 public houses. Brewing ceased at the Lion Brewery in West Street in 1928 but malting continued until 1956. The maltings buildings were redeveloped in the 1970s and are still standing. The manufacturer's mark states - Tiptaft B'ham