S.H.Ward & Co. Ltd (Owned by Vaux & Associated Breweries Ltd) Square Tin

S.H.Ward & Co. Ltd tin tray dating from the early 1970s.

Foundation of the Brewery Business

In 1837 William Roper and John Kirby founded the Sheaf Island Brewery on Effingham Street in Sheffield.
Roper died in 1842 leaving John Kirby in sole control. He was joined by George Wright in 1860.

Septimus Henry Ward

Septimus Henry Ward joined the Company in 1868 when it ran into financial trouble.
Due to the substantial amount he had invested, the primary brand was renamed Wards Best Bitter and the Sheaf trade mark was registered in that year.
George Wright left the partnership a year later.
Trading as Kirby, Ward & Co., the business continued to expand by buying up other breweries and associated public houses.
In 1876, it purchased the Soho Brewery of William Bradley & Co. on Ecclesall Road in Sheffield. All brewing was transferred to the Ecclesall Road site and it was renamed the Sheaf Brewery.

S.H.Ward & Co. Ltd Registration

The business was registered as S.H.Ward & Co. Ltd in 1896.
The Company continued to expand in the twentieth century by acquiring and restoring public houses.
This was halted by the onset of the Second World War due to lack of materials.
The brewery was hit by three bombs in 1940, causing the death of four of its workers.
Despite these setbacks, it recovered and after the end of the war it continued restoring pubs.

Vaux & Associated Breweries Ltd Takeover and Closure

The Sheaf Brewery, with 102 tied houses, was acquired by Vaux & Associated Breweries Ltd in 1972.
As a result of bad management and sheer greed by Vaux''s directors, both the Vaux brewery in Sunderland and Ward's Sheaf Brewery in Sheffield were forced to close in 1999.
Members of the Vaux founding family, the Nicholsons, attempted a management buyout of Wards but their offer was rejected.
The land was sold to developers who demolished most of the original buildings to make way for luxury apartments.
It was revealed later that the price achieved was several million pounds less than the buyout offer that would have saved the brewery.

The manufacturer's mark states - Salesprint & Display Ltd, Burton-on-Trent - Avon Metalware