John Joule & Sons Ltd Round Black Backed Steel

John Joule & Sons Ltd black backed steel tray dating from the 1930s.

Francis Joule Founder

In 1758 maltster Francis Joule, acquired the White Horse Inn and brewhouse in Stone.
In 1780 he purchased another brewery on the High Street in Stone, which supplied Joule's own outlets and other local public houses.
The Stone business flourished, and further land was acquired on the High Street to allow additional production.
In 1813 Francis' son, John Joule, inherited the brewery which traded as John Joule & Sons.
When John died in 1868 he left the business in a strong financial position.
Before his death, John registered the famous Joules Red Cross trade mark, making it the 6th oldest in the world.
John's second son, John Smith Joule, then took over the running of the brewery.
In 1873 the direct Joule family connection ended when the business was sold to Liverpool brewers, John Parrington, Thomas Harding & John Harding.
A building housing a beer and bottling store, and stables, was built alongside the Trent & Mersey Canal in 1881.
The stables provided accommodation for forty horses and twenty drays used for local deliveries until the introduction of lorries in the 20th century.

John Joule & Sons Ltd Registration

Despite the majority shareholding being held by the Hardings and the Parringtons, the Company was registered as John Joule & Sons Ltd in 1898.
The high quality of its beers became internationally recognised and, in addition to the home market, they were distributed to the Antipodes, Europe and the USA.
Joule's beer was notably recorded as stock on board HMS Titanic when it sank in 1912.
Many awards were won by Joules over the years including 1919, 1925. 1926, 1932, 1935, 1937 and finally in 1957, both for its draught and bottled beers.
Throughout the 20th century John Joules & Co Ltd and Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd had an acrimonious rivalry.
Both companies were regional giants, were very ambitious, and both fought for dominance in the Indian and the US markets.
In terms of brewery industry awards, Joules held the upper hand.

The Bass Charrington Ltd Takeover

Sadly for Joules, Bass Charrington Ltd managed to acquire the business, with 214 public houses in 1968.
Bass was swift, brutal and ruthless, making every employee and every director redundant in 1974. Brewing ceased that year.
Most of the buildings were demolished, except the offices in the High Street and the beer and bottling store which backed on to the Trent and Mersey Canal.
In 2009, Molson-Coors Brewing UK Ltd, granted a 'brand license' to a local craft brewer to once again brew Joules beer.
A small Joules brewery was established in Market Drayton in 2010.

The manufacturer's mark states - 8428 but there is no maker's name.