J. & R.Tennent Ltd Square Tin

J. & R.Tennent Ltd tin tray dating from the 1960s.

The Drygate Brewery Early Trading

The origins of the business date from around 1556, when Robert Tennent was brewing at Drygate Bridge.
The modern Company, and its Drygate Brewery, was founded In 1740 by H. & R.Tennent.
Hugh Tennent's sons, John and Robert, continued the business and traded as J. & R.Tennent from 1769.
On Hugh's death in 1776, John and Robert became joint owners.

The Wellpark Brewery

The business expanded in the 1790s, including the purchase of William McLehose's adjacent brewery, in 1793, which the Tennent family renamed the Wellpark Brewery.
The Wellpark Brewery produced stout and strong export ales.
Under John and Robert's leadership, Tennent's strong ale was first exported to the USA to help quench the thirst of Scottish expatriates, in 1797.
Robert Tennent died in 1826 and John Tennent died in 1827. Robert's eldest son, Hugh Tennent, then assumed control of the business.
By the mid-1850s the firm had become the world's largest exporter of beer.
Hugh Tennent retired in 1855 with his fifth son, Charles Tennent, taking over, but he too died in 1864.
Following the Company's growing success, the iconic 'T' trade mark was registered in 1867.
The Wellpark Brewery was subsequently operated by trustees on behalf of Charles Tennent's sons, Archibald and Hugh.
In 1884 Hugh Tennent took control of the Company.
Whilst in Bavaria Hugh discovered a pilsner-style beer which he replicated at his brewery when he returned to Scotland.
He was a true innovator becoming the first Company to brew and bottle lager in Britain, in 1885. Tennent's lager became extremely popular very quickly.
Before this, the firm had only produced dark beers and stout.
Hugh later built a new lager brewery on the Wellpark site, which commenced brewing in 1891.

J. & R.Tennent Ltd Registration

J. & R.Tennent Ltd was registered in 1901 to acquire the estate of the late Hugh Tennent.
The first draught lager was brewed in 1924, the first canned lager in 1935, and the first keg lager in 1963.
In 1953 J. & R.Tennent Ltd became a public company and formed a subsidiary, West of Scotland Taverns Ltd, to acquire and operate its public houses.
In 1960 Tennent's acquired Maclachlans Ltd Craigmillar Brewery, with over 100 public houses.

J.& R.Tennent Ltd - A Series of Takeovers

J. & R.Tennent Ltd, with 240 licensed houses, was acquired by Charrington United Breweries Ltd in 1963, and in 1966 it merged with United Caledonian Breweries Ltd to form Tennent Caledonian Breweries Ltd.
The Wellpark Brewery was redeveloped between 1965 and 1968.
In 1967, Charringtons United Breweries Ltd merged with Bass, Mitchells & Butlers Ltd to form Bass Charrington Ltd, which was later purchased by Belgian brewer Interbrew in 2000.
The Company then became part of Anheuser-Busch Inbev in 2008.
In 2009, Cantrell & Cochrane (C&C) Group plc of Ireland announced a deal to buy the Wellpark Brewery and the Tennent's beer brands from AB-InBEV.
In 2014, C&C Group plc and Wlliam Brothers Brewery Co., opened a craft brewery joint venture on the site, named the Drygate Brewing Co.
The original Wellpark Brewery is still operating.

The manufacturer's mark states - Made in Great Britain by Reginald Corfield Ltd 4720