W.J.Rogers Ltd Round Black Backed Steel

W.J.Rogers Ltd black backed steel tray dating from 1927. The brewery was founded on Jacob Street in Bristol in 1845. John Rogers purchased the Jacob Street Brewery in 1852. From 1865 the business was run by John Roger's son, William John Rogers, who rebuilt an impressive and ornate Jacob Street Brewery. The business was registered as W.J.Rogers Ltd in 1894 with 25 tied houses. The Company continued to expand and in 1898 it acquired the Maesteg Brewery Co. Ltd with 42 public houses and closed the brewery. In 1912, Rogers was one of the first firms to use motorised drays and also won its first brewing honour. In 1922 Rogers acquired J. & T.Usher Ltd of Bristol with 40 tied houses and closed the brewery. By 1927 it had won twenty brewing medals including the 'Fifty Guinea Challenge Cup' for its best bottled beer at the Brewers' Exhibition in London. In 1935 the Rogers family lost control of the brewery when H. & G.Simonds Ltd of Reading purchased the Company. In 1938 W.Rogers Ltd was liquidated and became known as H. & G.Simonds Ltd. Brewing ceased at the Jacob Street Brewery in 1952. H. & G.Simonds Ltd had a presence in Jacob Street until 1966. During the early 1970s, part of the brewery was used by a second hand furniture business and a camping firm. Some of the buildings still remain after being converted into offices. The manufacturer's mark states - B.A.T.Co. Ltd Smethwick