John Wright & Co. (Perth) Ltd Round Tin

John Wright & Co. (Perth) Ltd tin tray dating from 1960.

Origins of the Brewery

In 1786 merchant William Wright and maltster Alexander Ritchie formed the Perth Brewing Co. in Perth, Scotland. William and Alexander purchased land on which the brewery operated with an excellent supply of pure water.
The venture prospered and when William Wright died in 1810 he was succeeded by his nephew, John Wright.
By 1835 John Wright was the sole surviving owner of the Company.
John entered into partnership with Robert Currie, his brewer, in 1842. The name of the business changed to Wright, Currie & Co.
John Wright died in 1849 leaving no family and was succeeded by his nephew John McGrouter.
McGrouter entered into partnership with Robert Currie until the latter died in 1852.
John McGrouter became sole owner of the Company which continued to trade under the name of John Wright & Co.
When McGrouter died in 1859 his widow inherited the business and went into partnership with Nathaniel Watt.
Watt died in in 1870 and he was succeeded by Duncan Robertson Irwin who became the firm's sole owner. The Company, which was still trading as John Wright & Co., fell into financial dificulty and in 1885 it was acquired by a brewer R.B.Wallace and banker and former brewer Rober Nimmo.
Under this partnership the Company expanded quickly. To the long-standing business of brewing and malting was added the bottling of other beers and stouts, notably Burton Ales, London and Dublin Stouts, ciders and mineral waters.
The Perth Brewery was extensively reconstructed with installation of a new brewhouse and maltings, and the construction of new offices.

John Wright & Co. (Perth) Ltd

A modest export trade in stout to the West Indies began and just before the First World War Wright's acquired an aerated Springwells mineral water business in Dunkeld.
The First World War dealt Wright's, in common with other brewers, a heavy blow when lack of brewing ingredients caused the cessation of its export trade.
The firm continued to struggle financially resulting in a reconstruction of the business In 1925 when the firm was registered as John Wright & Co. (Perth) Ltd.
In 1926 Wright's took over and closed local rival Muir & Martin and its South Inch Brewery. Muir & Martin had a stong reputation for brewing quality ales the production of which was transferred to the Perth Brewery. David Martin, a director of Muir & Martin became Wright's head brewer.
The Dunkeld mineral water factory was closed in 1931, and production was transferred to Perth.
The Company's trade was boosted by bottling beers for other companies including McEwans, Tennents, and Fowlers, in Scotland and Watneys, Bass and Worthington in England. It also bottled for Guinness Stout and Carlsberg Lager.
After the Second World War two types of bulk beer were introduced, Light and Heavy, and seven types of bottled beer. Wright's were also the first to brewer in the country to produce Sweet Stout.
A stagnant market in the 1950s in Scotland, resulted in the demise of many Scottish brewers including John Wight & Co. Ltd.
The Company was acquired by Vaux & Associated Breweries Ltd in 1961 and the brewery was closed in 1964.
When it closed, Wright's was the most northerly surviving brewery in Britain.
Following the demise of the Company, the site was purchased by Perth Town Council which demolished the Perth Brewery. There are now houses and a medical centre where the firm once stood.