Thomas & James Bernard Ltd Round Alloy

Thomas & James Bernard Ltd alloy tray dating from the early 1950s.

The Early Years of Trading

Thomas Bernard started brewing at his old Edinburgh Brewery on North Back Canongate in Edinburgh in 1845. His brother James Alexander Bernard was a distiller.
Thomas and James formed a partnership in 1852 which included the brewery and the Lochend Distillery in Leith.
The business traded as Thomas & James Bernard.
By 1871 the brewery employed 45 men, with an additional 24 at its maltings.
James died in 1873 and Thomas died in 1874, leaving his two sons, Daniel and John Mackay Bernard to run the business.
The original site soon became too small, resulting in the construction of a new Edinburgh Brewery on Slateford Road in 1887.
A fire broke out shortly after work was completed in 1888 which destroyed the malt store.
The Company also encountered problems with the quality of the water at its new brewery.
Fortunately the old Edinburgh Brewery in Canongate was still operating, ensuring brewing could continue until the problems had been resolved.

A Family Split

A dispute arose between Daniel and John Mackay soon after the opening of the new brewery in 1889. As a result Daniel left the business and traded under his own name at the old Edinburgh Brewery.
In 1892 he registered Bernard's Ltd. The Company's trade mark was 'Bayonet Brand' shortened to BB.
In 1893 Daniel moved out of the Edinburgh Brewery when it was acquired by the North British Railway Company as part of its plans to expand Waverley Station.
Daniel built a grand new brewery at Gorgie.
Bernard's Ltd traded as a direct rival until it went into liquidation in 1904 and it ceased brewing.

Thomas & James Bernard Ltd Registration

Thomas & James Bernard Ltd was formed in 1895 to acquire the business of Thomas & James Bernard on Slateford Road in Edinburgh, and the property and assets owned by John Mackay Bernard.
Its first trade mark, a barrel with the word 'celebrated' in the middle, was used from 1895.
John Mackay Bernard was Chairman and Managing Director of the Company until his death in 1919, by which time it had become a major brewer in Edinburgh.
The Company's second trade mark, a St. Bernard's dog with a beer bottle on a collar around its neck, was used from the 1920s.

Scottish Brewers Ltd Takeover

Having traded successfully for almost 75 years, the Edinburgh Brewery was acquired by Scottish Brewers Ltd in 1960 and was closed.
Part of the brewery was converted into a bonded warehouse by the North British Distillery Company, which also produced malt on the site.
The brewery buildings were later demolished for a modern housing development but the former offices are still standing as private residences.