Out Of The Blue Artifacts A Library of a lifetime of collecting
The Western Valleys Brewery Company, Crumlin.
The Western Valleys Brewery Company, Crumlin was established in November 1891. The company was formed to acquire a portion of the buildings of the old Crumlin Viaduct Works and to carry on a business of a brewery and also those of a maltster, innkeepers, licensed victuallers, wine and spirit merchants. The premises intended to be acquired was just north of the Viaduct Hotel and beneath the Crumlin Viaduct, east of the River Ebbw and to be rented at £60 per annum. The company proposed to furnish the brewery with a ten-quart plant, with the water being obtained from the mountain which was said to have been suitable for brewing purposes, tested by Professor Graham of London. The reservoir to supply the Western Valleys Brewery was on an adjacent mountain and above Lawn Terrace.
The directors said they intended to increase the business by the acquisition of licensed premises and stated they had great support from the trade. The capital of the company consisted of 200 founders shares of £1 each and an ordinary share capital of £12,000 in an equal number of £1 shares. Brewer Mr Robert Blair with over 20 years’ experience in London, Burton-on Trent and South Wales was the manager of the new company.
The Western Valley’s Brewery Company.
The Directors –
Mr Rees Emmanuel, Sunny Bank, Griffiths Town, Pontypool.
Mr Augustus Dodd, the Navigation Hotel, Crumlin.
Mr Thomas Williams, the Black Lion Hotel, Aberdare.
Mr Evan Lewis, the County Hotel, Ebbw Vale.
Mr Robert Blair, F.C.S., No19, Beauclerc Road, Hammersmith, London.
Bankers – The London & Provincial Bank Limited, Ebbw Vale.
Manager and Secretary – Mr Robert Blair.
Temporary Offices – The County Hotel, Ebbw Vale.
The Western Valleys Brewery Company acquired the Somerset Hotel, Abertillery as part of the holdings.
Mr W. G. Ward.
In July 1893 Mr W. G. Ward was the manager of the brewery.
Western Valleys Brewery Company Liquidation.
In September 1893 the Western Valleys Brewery Company Limited went into liquidation and was advertised for sale by private treaty in the South Wales Daily Newspaper in their issue 7th September 1893, the company were also selling their interests in the Somerset Hotel, Abertillery.
The Formation of the Western Valleys Brewery Company (Limited).
In October 1893 it was reported that The Western Valleys Brewery Company Limited, Crumlin had been formed to take over the brewery with a capital of £6,000 in 3,800 six-per cent preference and 2,200 ordinary shares of £1 each, to enter into an agreement to adopt and carry into effect the scheme of re-construction of the Western Valleys Brewery Company, that was in liquidation, and to follow the trades of brewers, maltsters and all similar undertakings.
The Subscribers were –
Mr R. Emmanuel, a Colliery Owner of Pontypool;
Mr J. Dakers, a Mining Engineer of Blaina;
Mr G. Lewis of the Viaduct Hotel, Crumlin;
Mr E. Edwards, a Meat Merchant of Ystrad Rhondda;
Mr F. J. Matthews, an Innkeeper of Abercarn;
Mr T. Williams, an Innkeeper of Aberdare;
Mr J. Lewis, an Innkeeper of Blaina;
The first five gentlemen were registered as directors of the company.
Messrs Edwards, Davies and Tilbrook.
Throughout the 1890’s, Mr T. Wendon Edwards was a secretary, Mr W. D. Davies a secretary and Mr Tilbrook was the brewery agent for the Western Valleys Brewery Company.
The Sale of the Western Valley’s Brewery.
Towards the end of the 1890’s the new Western Valley Brewery Company Limited was plagued with problems and the brewery was put up for sale.
Mr D. F. Pritchard.
In January 1899 the Western Mail newspaper reported that the Western Valleys Brewery at Cumlin, Monmouthshire had been purchased by Mr David Francis Pritchard for the sum of £8,000 equivalent to £967,322.00 in today’s money.
Mr David Francis Pritchard – Crumlin.
Mr David Francis Pritchard, was born in Llangynidr, Brecknockshire in 1848, the son of Mr Edward and Sarah Pritchard of Llanfrynach, Brecon. In the 1870’s Mr D. F. Pritchard was listed as a grocer in a shop at Ebbw Vale.
In 1880 Mr David F. Pritchard married Mary Durrant Gibbins. Mary Durrant Gibbins was born in Devonshire on 26th July 1852. A short while after they moved to Buchan Terrace, Rhymney where Mr Pritchard was employed as a brewery agent and later manager for the Buchan’s Brewery, Rhymney.
In 1899 not long after purchasing the Western Valleys Brewery, Mr D. F. Pritchard and family moved into Crumlin Hall and expanded his brewery business at Crumlin.
On the 1st of August 1900, Mr D. F. Pritchard applied for an additional license to his existing license to sell spirits at his premises, the Western Valley’s Brewery, Crumlin.
The First Advertisements.
Mr D. F. Pritchard 1900 advertisement (right).
On Thursday 10th of March 1910, Mrs Mary Durrant Pritchard sadly passed away at 57 years of age. She had been suffering ill health for over two and a half years. She was interred at Mynyddislwyn Parish Church.
In February 1912 Mr Pritchard left Crumlin Hall and the district and took up residence in Goytre House, near Abergavenny. Upon leaving Crumlin it was decided that he should be the recipient of a testimonial and a strong committee with Dr Ryan as the chairman, Mr F. J. Matthews as vice-chairman and Councillor M. Gorman as treasurer and Mr Walter Jones as secretary was formed to carry it out. The public’s generosity was so great that the committee commissioned an oil painting of Mr Pritchard standing by a horse. The painting was carried out by two of the leading artists in the country – Mr George Wright born 1860 in Leeds, well known equestrian and hunting artist and Mr P. M. Teasdale.
On Thursday 15th of February 1912, the unveiling of the portrait and a banquet was held at the Viaduct Hotel, Crumlin.
The Death of Mr D. F. Prichard.
In December 1923 Mr David Francis Pritchard sadly passed away at his residence the Goytre House, near Abergavenny.
In February 1930 it was announced that Messrs Andrew Buchan’s Breweries Ltd of Rhymney had purchased the greater part of the business, the bulk of the houses and the goodwill of Messrs D. R. Pritchard, Ltd of Crumlin, Monmouthshire.
The D. F. Pritchard Western Valleys Brewery has long since been demolished. The Navigation Industrial Estate now occupies the site.
Points of Interest – Crumlin Hall.
Crumlin Hall was originally the home of Mr H. M. Kennard Esq, engineer of the Crumlin Viaduct. It was passed onto Captain P. S. Phillips, Abertillery Tin Works and the Blaina & Nantyglo Works. In 1889 the hall was let to Mr Edgar Williams, late agent to the South Wales Colliery Company for Newport. Mr Williams left the hall in the 1890’s and the council wanted to purchase it for a school, it was stated that the owner Mr Phillips wanted £10,000 for the property.
After Mr Pritchard left the area in 1912 it was hoped that the council would have purchased the Crumlin Hall and had the building to house a public library and the grounds for a recreation park, though the report stated that the council didn’t seem interested at that point in time. The hall was later converted into a mining school.
(More information to come).