John Young & Co. Ltd Round Black Backed Steel

John Young & Co. Ltd black backed steel tray dating from the 1930s.

Orgins of the Ladywell Brewery

The Ladywell Brewery was established by John Young in Fisherrow, Musselburgh, in the 1830s.
Lawrence Lyall purchased the brewery in 1855 after previous involvement in the Leven Brewery where he had been a partner in Scott & Lyall.
In 1882 the Ladywell Brewery was leased to Thomas Millar which he had vacated by 1885.

John Young & Co.

John Young had been a brewer in Peterhead before moving to Fisherrow. He initially worked for William Whitelaw & Son, but establised John Young & Co. to acquire the Ladywell Brewery in 1886.
In 1886 the Company registered its large 'Y' with an '&' and 'Co.' trade mark.
In 1891 the Company was registered as John Young & Co. Ltd to acquire the business of John Young & Co.
The brewery was hit by fires in 1894 and 1914.
After John Young died in 1910 the majority of shares were purchased by David Purves Maxwell who was Chairman of the Company until his death in 1958.
His son, John Douglas Maxwell, took over John Young & Co. Ltd and its subsidiary Company, Olympic Bars Ltd in 1949.
Olympic Bars Ltd had been created to manage the Company's small estate of 11 public houses.
Young's brewed a range of over 20 different ales, a lot for a small firm.
The business was acquired by Whitbread & Co. Ltd in 1968, by which time brewing had already ceased.
Beer was provided by another Whitbread & Co. Ltd acquisition, Archibald Campbell, Hope & King Ltd.
The Company ceased trading in 1969 and was dissolved in 1971.

The manufacturer's mark states - Reginald Corfield Ltd Lombard Road London S.W.19.