Julia Hanson & Sons Ltd Round Enamel

Julia Hanson & Sons Ltd enamel tray dating from the 1900s.

The Hanson Family

Thomas Hanson and his brother-in-law Thomas Hughes who was a draper, set up a wine and spirit merchants in 1847 on Upper Tower Street in Dudley.
The partnership broke up when Thomas Hughes set up his own business in the 1860s.
Thomas Hanson died in 1870 leaving his wife Julia to run the business with her 17-year old son, Thomas Piddock Hanson.
Julia Hanson died in 1894 leaving Thomas to run the brewery.
In 1895 Hanson's acquired the Peacock Hotel with its brewery on the High Street in Dudley.
The business flourished and a malthouse was built on Bourne Street in Dudley in order to serve the brewery.
The Company was registered as Julia Hanson Ltd in 1897 and a new Peacock Brewery was built that year.
Julia's sons re-registered the Company as Julia Hanson & Sons Ltd in 1902.
In 1919 the firm acquired the brewery and tied estate of the Miner's Arms in Kidderminster.

Julia Hanson Ltd Expansion & Takeover

Between the wars, the Company acquired three breweries:- Ellen Gale Miners Arms Brewery of Kidderminster in 1923, Smith & Williams Town Brewery of Round Oak with 60 tied houses in 1934, and Samuel Woodhall Ltd Borough Brewery of West Bromwich with 8 public houses in 1938.
The Peacock Brewery was acquired by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries Ltd in 1943 with nearly 200 public houses.
Brewing of Hanson's Bitter was transferred to the Park Brewery in Wolverhampton whilst Hanson's Mild continued to be brewed in Dudley until 1992 when the Peacock Brewery closed.
Hanson's Bitter ceased to be brewed in 1995.
Hanson's Mild was brewed in Wolverhampton until 2007 when it was delisted by Marstons PLC.

The manufacturer's mark states - Griffiths & Browett, London & B'Ham