Usher’s Wiltshire Brewery Ltd Ceramic Ashtray

Usher's Wiltshire Brewery Ltd ceramic ashtray dating from 1937.

Usher's Wiltshire Brewery Ltd Registration

In 1824 Thomas Usher acquired a small brewery on Back Street in Trowbridge. Through sheer hard work Thomas and his wife Hannah grew sales of their home brew business. Their three sons joined the firm in 1869 when the couple retired.
In 1889 the business was registered as Usher's Wiltshire Brewery Ltd with one of the sons, Jacob, becoming Chairman.

Expansion Through Acquistions 1890 to 1928

The Company started its expansion path in 1890 when it acquired the Sovereign Brewery in Bayswater, London. The London business transferred to Paddington and it continued brewing until 1948.
Before, and between the two World Wars, Usher's not only experienced natural sales growth, it also purchased many brewing businesses.
G. & T.Spencer's Brewery Ltd of Bradford-upon-Avon with 58 public houses was acquired in 1913, J.Wadley & Co.'s Sun Brewery of Highworth with 17 public houses was purchased in 1918, and John Folliott & Sons of Salisbury with 23 public houses was acquired in 1919.
It was in the 1920s when the Company's expansion was most prevalent, with over 250 public houses added to its estate through the acquisition of six breweries; Wilkins Brothers & Hudson Ltd of Bradford-upon-Avon with 50 public houses, and Bartlett & Co. Ltd of Warminster with 44 public houses, were acquired in 1920, J.H. & H.Blake Ltd of Trowbridge with 49 public houses was purchased in 1922, Herbert John Finn & Co. of Newbury with 21 public houses was acquired in 1923, William Robert Harding's King Arms Brewery of Bradford-upon-Avon with 12 public houses was purchased in 1924, and the Wallingford Brewery Ltd with 77 public houses was taken over in 1928.

Post Second World War Acquisitions

It was nearly fifty years before any further acquistions were made when in 1955 Usher's purchased the two breweries of Arnold & Hancock Ltd.
Its final, and significant, acquistion was made jointly with the Stroud Brewery Co. Ltd in 1957 when Frome & Lamb Ltd with 300 public houses was closed.

Watney Mann Ltd Takeover

Usher's Wiltshire Brewery Ltd merged with Watney Mann Ltd in 1960 and the Company was renamed Usher's Brewery Ltd in 1964.
In 1970 Usher's Brewery Ltd was renamed Watney Mann (West) Ltd.
In 1972 Watney Mann Ltd was taken over by Grand Metropolitan Hotels Ltd.
The firm continued to operate at the Wiltshire Brewery and in 1980 the Company's name reverted back to Ushers Brewery Ltd.

Management Buy-Out

In 1991 Roger North, who was the Managing Director of the brewing arm of Grand Metropolitan, led a management buy-out of Ushers Brewery Ltd.
By 1997 the new Company owned 531 public houses, however despite all its efforts. and the purchase of Burts Sandown Brewery Ltd on the Isle of Wight in 1998, the Wiltshire Brewery was forced to close in 2000.
The brewing equipment was sold to North Korea. The only reminder of the brewery is a Victorian facade on Back Street which hides a modern block of flats.

The manufacturer's mark states - Mintons Est 1793 England Regicor