Magee, Marshall & Co. Ltd Ceramic Ashtray

Magee, Marshall & Co. Ltd ashtray probably dating from the 1920s.

Foundation of the Crown Brewery

The business was founded in Bolton by David Magee, a brewer and spirit merchant, in 1853. He moved from the Good Samaritan Brewhouse on Derby Street in Bolton to the Crown Hotel on the same street and built the Crown Brewery, next to the hotel, in 1866.
After his death in 1875, control of the business passed to his sons, Thomas, John and Joseph. They acquired David Marshall & Co.'s Grapes Brewery on Brown Street, and the Horseshoe Brewery on Water Street, in 1885.
After the purchase, all brewing was transferred to the Crown Brewery and the Horseshoe Brewery was closed.
The Grapes Brewery premises were used for bottling activities and commercial offices.
Magee's were bottlers for Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd and Worthington & Co. Ltd of Burton-on-Trent, and for Findlater & Co. and Arthur Guinness, Son & Co. Ltd of Dublin.

Magee, Marshall & Co. Ltd Registration & Expansion

The Company was registered as Magee, Marshall & Co. Ltd in 1888.
In 1890, a magnificent new Crown Brewery was built on the same site.
The famous 'Man with Bread and Cheese' trade mark was first used in 1892.
The Company acquired Henry Robinson & Co. Wigan Brewery with 88 tied houses in 1894.
In 1902 Magee's decided to lease the brewery of John Bell & Co. from Thomas Salt & Co. Ltd in Burton-on-Trent, and brewed there until 1908.
In 1909 the Company purchased land near Shobnall Road, Burton-on-Trent and sank a well on the site in order to extract the famous Burton brewing water.
The Company transported water for brewing from Burton-on-Trent to Bolton until the 1950s.
In 1912 Magee's final acquisition was local competitor John Halliwell & Sons Alexandra Brewery with all its public houses.
Before the Second World War the firm's Mild and Best Mild accounted for more than 90% of its sales.
Despite two World Wars the Company prospered and this prosperity continued when a new bottling plant was installed at the Crown Brewery in the early 1950s.

The Greenall Whitley & Co. Ltd Takeover

Magee's built up a substantial tied estate predominantly in Bolton and Wigan, and also in Lancashire seaside resorts such as Blackpool and Southport, where its customers went on holiday.
As happened to many family brewers at this time the Company, with its Crown Brewery and over 180 public houses, was acquired by Greenall Whitley & Co. Ltd in 1959. Greenall's continued to operate until brewing ceased at the Crown Brewery in 1970.
The site was used by Greenall's as the headquarters of its subsidiary business, Cambrian Soft Drinks.
Small business units are now situated on site of the Crown Brewery.

The manufacturer's mark is faded but the Mintons trade mark is just visible.
A very similar design was also produced after the war.