Morrell’s Brewery Ltd Round Tin

Morrell's Brewery Ltd tin tray dating from the late 1970s.

The Morrell Family and the Lion Brewery

The Lion Brewery was established in Oxford in 1743 by Richard Tawney.
When Richard died he passed the running of the brewery to his eldest son, also named Richard.
In 1791 the younger Richard died without an heir, leaving his brother Edward Tawney, to run the business.
Mark and James Morrell joined Edward as partners of the business in 1797 and bought the business when he died in 1800.
The first priority of Mark and James after taking control of the firm was to pay off the Company's considerable debts.
This they did, and their business interests began to grow. They took control of a bank, coal mine, and a large holding in the Oxford Canal.
They also grew their brewing business by extending and refurbishing the brewhouse, and by acquiring many public houses.
When Mark Morrell died in 1843 he left his entire estate to his brother James.
In 1851 James Morrell transferred the business to his son, also named James. James died in 1863 and his wife Alicia died the following year, leaving their 10 year old daughter Emily as an orphan.
As a result all the family's assets, including the brewery, were put into the hands of Trustees. The Trustees ran the business from 1864 to 1938.
From the 1870s until the early 1900s Morrell's redeveloped and extended the Lion Brewery but trading was difficult and the business lacked entrepreneurial flair.
In 1925 James Morrell, great-grandson of his namesake, became Acting Brewery Manager and it was he who wound up the Trust and reformed the firm in 1938.

Morrell's Brewery Ltd

The Company was registered as Morrell's Brewery Ltd in 1943. James became the Chairman and Managing Director of the new Company.
The next fifty years saw a determined effort to bring the Company up to date and survive the rapid changes occurring in the brewing industry.
Despite a fire which ended its involvement in malting in 1956, and the closure of its bottling hall in 1985, investment in the brewhouse continued with upgrades in 1966 and 1971.

Family Split Causes Closure

The Company's future seemed bright but an acrimonious family dispute resulted in the closure of the Lion Brewery in 1998.
Charles Eld, an 8th generation family member, had became the Company's Managing Director in 1988.
He wanted to invest in the brewery but was uncerimoniously dismissed by other family shareholders in 1998 which led to brewing ending.
Refresh UK Ltd purchased the beer brands and for a time Thomas Hardy Ltd of Burtonwood was contracted to brew them.
Morrell's 132 tied public houses were purchased by Michael Cannon, owner of a USA hamburger chain, who then sold his pubco, Morrells of Oxford, to Greene King & Sons Ltd in 2002.
Refresh UK Ltd was acquired by Marstons PLC which still brews Morrell's Varsity ale.
The Lion Brewery site was redeveloped for luxury apartments in 2002.
Only the waterwheel and yellow brick chimney survived demolition.