John Groves & Sons Ltd Showcard

John Groves & Sons Ltd showcard dating from the 1900s. The business was founded in 1840 in Hope Square, Weymouth. The Company was registered as a public company in 1895. During a short period, Groves purchased a number of small local breweries including Reynolds Brothers & Heathorn Melcombe Brewery of Weymouth and its 9 public houses, in 1883, Henry Cox Maiden Newton Brewery in 1894, Webb Arms Brewery of East Lulworth and the Seven Stars Home Brew of East Burton, in 1895, Galpin & Masters Phoenix Brewery of Dorchester and its 5 public houses, in 1898, and Ilchester Arms brewery of Symondsbury in 1900. The Hope Brewery was rebuilt in 1903. In the early 1900s there were two further aquisitions, J.R.Taylor Plume of Feathers Home Brew house of Dorchester in 1903, and George Habgood & Son Julian Brewery of Wimborne and its 17 public houses, in 1915. The Company continued to trade successfully between the wars and made its final purchase, Fookes Brothers Milton Brewery of Milton Abbas, and its 6 public houses, in 1950. In 1960 the Company merged with J.A.Devenish & Co. Ltd, also situated in Hope Square. At that time, Groves estate included 115 public houses. Brewing ceased on the site in 1985. The Hope Brewery was used as an indoor shopping centre from 1990 until it closed in 2010. From 2013 the building housed an antques emporium but in 2017 it was once again earmarked for redevelopment.