Beverley Brothers Ltd Round Tin

Beverley Brothers Ltd tin tray dating from the 1960s.

Beverley Brothers Foundation

The firm was founded in 1861 by two brothers, Anthony Taylor Beverley, and Christopher Lodge Beverley.
Construction of the Eagle Brewery started in 1861, between Kirkgate and Thornhill Street, on Harrison Street, Wakefield, and brewing commenced the same year.
Beverley's purchased its first public house, the Newmarket on New Street, Wakefield, in 1869.
Following the death of Christopher in 1887, the Company was registered as Beverley Brothers Ltd in 1888.
Henry Alfred Beverley became the firm's Managing Director.

20th Century Trading

In the early 1920s the Company changed from horse-drawn beer deivery, to owning a fleet of motor vehicles.
The brewery was re-constructed with completely new brewing plant, in 1926.
A new and modern bottling plant was installed in the bottling stores in 1936, which was the first of its type in Britain.
Beverley's bottled Bass, Worthington, and Guinness from the 1930s. Additionally it was one of a small number of breweries in the country to starting packing its beer in cans.
The Second World War caused production of Beverley's canned bitter to be to stopped, a venture it would never try again.
After the war, in 1948, the brewery launched a new beer, Golden Eagle Export Ale, for its new export initiative. Mr Frank Beverley the then Chairman, launched beers into the USA, Bermuda, Barbados, the West Indies, and Kenya.
In 1950 Beveley's was awarded Brewing medals for the quality of its beers, a feat it repeated in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1959, and 1960.
In 1952 Beverley's acquired John Baxter Ltd, with its Glen Top Brewery and 127 public houses, based in Waterfoot, Lancashire.
The Glen Top Brewery ceased brewing but the site was used as offices and storage facilities until 1968.

The Watney Mann Ltd Takeover

The Eagle Brewery, with over 150 employees and 173 public houses, was taken over by Watney Mann Ltd in 1967, and ceased brewing in 1968.
A photograph taken after the takeover suggests that Watney Red was brewed at the Eagle Brewery for a short time.
The brewery buildings continued to be used by Watney's as a distibution centre, until it was sold in 1976 to Batley's of Yorkshire Ltd, a Huddersfield-base cash-and-carry group.
The buildings were finally demolished in the early 1980s.
The Company was dissolved in 1996.

Lost Beers

The following are just a few of the beers that were lost after Beverley Brothers Ltd ceased brewing in 1968.
Old Warrior
Golden Eagle
Summit Ale
Draught Pale Ale
Old Tom
Imperial Pale Ale
Barley Wine
Trinity Bitter