Morrell's Brewing Company: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Brewery in Oxford, England}}

{{EngvarB|date=June 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{Infobox company

|name = Morrell's Brewing Company

|image = [[File:The Brewery gates - geograph.org.uk - 1385776.jpg|250px]]

|image_caption = Gates of what was the Lion Brewery

|location = St Thomas's Street<br/>[[Oxford]]<br>England

|owner = Morrell family

|founded = 1743

|defunct = 1998

|former_name = The Lion Brewery

}}

'''Morrell's Brewing Company''', also known as the Lion Brewery, was the only major [[brewery]] in [[Oxford]], England. It operated between 1782 and 1998.

==Early history==

[[File:The Swan Inn, Rose Island, River Thames, Oxfordshire.jpg|thumb|The Swan Inn, Rose Island, River Thames; the sign to the left advertises Morrell's Genuine Ales & Stout ]]

Morrell's was founded by Richard Tawney in 1743 as the Lion Brewery.<ref>{{harvnb|Allen|1994|p=}}{{Page needed|date=November 2014}}</ref> In 1782 he formed a partnership with Mark and James Morrell, who eventually became the owners.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.headington.org.uk/history/famous_people/morrellfamily.htm |last=Jenkins |first=Stephanie |title=Morrell / Wharton / Tawney families |work=Headington history: People |date=19 April 2009 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> 1863 and 1864 saw the deaths of James Morrell and his wife Alicia leaving the brewery to their ten year old daughter [[Emily Morrell]]. Her inheritance was put under the control of three trustees who tried to deal with Emily's crush on a distant cousin by sending her away to an aunt and forbidding any communication between the pair.<ref name=lastbrew>{{Cite web|title=Last orders for brewing legend|url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6639304.last-orders-brewing-legend/|access-date=2021-04-23|website=Oxford Mail|language=en}}</ref>

Morrell's brewed its beers at the Lion Brewery in [[St Thomas', Oxford|St Thomas Street]]. In the 19th century Morrell's redeveloped and extended the Lion Brewery a number of times. A large brewing shed was added in 1879, a blacksmith's shop and engine house in 1880, a further shed and new yard in 1882, stables in 1889, new offices in 1892, a tun room in 1895, further offices in 1897 and a tall octagonal chimney in 1901.<ref name=Woolley79>{{harvnb|Woolley|2010|p=79}}</ref> All these developments were designed by the local architect [[Harry Drinkwater]],<ref name=Woolley79/> who also designed a number of the company's [[pub]]s.{{sfn|Tyack|1998|p=269}}

The Lion Brewery was powered by a waterwheel on [[Castle Mill Stream]], a branch of the [[River Thames]]. This was supplemented by steam engines for which the engine house was built.<ref name=Woolley79/> One [[Beam engine#Rotative beam engines|rotative beam engine]] that was built for the Lion Brewery in about 1826 remained in service until 1964 and is now preserved at the [[Abbey Pumping Station]], [[Leicester]].

The Morrell family lived at [[Headington Hill Hall]] and their estate included [[South Park, Oxford|South Park]]. The family included [[Philip Morrell]] (1870–1943), who was a [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] [[Member of parliament#United Kingdom|MP]] 1906–18 and was married to [[Lady Ottoline Morrell]]. In 1929–31 [[Morrell Avenue]] was built along the south side of South Park.{{sfn|Hibbert|1988|p=261}} The family also owned the village of [[Streatley, Berkshire|Streatley]] and one side of the family lived there, until Emily Morrell died in 1938, when the estate was sold.

After an acrimonious family dispute the brewery was closed in 1998.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6639322.Morrells_Brewery_up_for_sale/ |title=Morrells Brewery up for sale |newspaper=[[Oxford Mail]] |publisher=[[Newsquest]] |date=9 July 1998 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> Refresh UK bought the beer brands and for a time Thomas Hardy Burtonwood was contracted to brew them.<ref name=MA>{{cite news |url= http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Company-City-News/The-night-watch-Morrells-of-Oxford |title=The night watch: Morrells of Oxford |newspaper=[[Morning Advertiser]] |date=14 March 2001 |accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> [[Marston's]] acquired Refresh UK in 2008 and now brew Morrells beers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Operators/Marston-s/Marston-s-buys-Refresh-UK |title=Marston's buys Refresh UK |newspaper=Morning Advertiser |date=3 April 2008 |accessdate=11 March 2017}}</ref>

==Post-brewing operations==

In 1998 Michael Cannon, owner of the US hamburger chain [[Fuddruckers]], bought Morrell's 132 tied pubs for £48&nbsp;million through a new company, Morrells of Oxford.<ref name=MA/><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6638343.Pub_tycoon_could_buy_Morrells/ |title=Morrells Brewery up for sale |newspaper=[[Oxford Mail]] |publisher=[[Newsquest]] |date=28 September 1998 |accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> In 2002 Cannon sold 107 of the pubs to [[Greene King]] for £67&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2051362.stm |title=Brewer buys pub chain for £67&nbsp;million |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=18 June 2002 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref>

===Development of the Lion Brewery site===

The Lion Brewery site was redeveloped for luxury apartments in 2002.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6623199.Brewery_site_plan_nears_final_hurdle/ |title=Brewery site plan nears final hurdle |newspaper=Oxford Mail |publisher=Newsquest |date=19 February 2001 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> The waterwheel and yellow brick chimney were retained but only the façades were retained of the other buildings.<ref name=Woolley79/>

{{reflist|30em}}

[[File:A-frame beam engine, side view, Abbey pumping station, Leicester.jpg|thumb|Rotative beam engine built for the Lion Brewery about 1826 and now preserved at the [[Abbey Pumping Station]] in [[Leicester]]]]

*{{cite book |last=Allen |first=Brigid |year=1994 |title=Morrells of Oxford: The Family and Their Brewery 1743–1993 |place=Stroud |publisher=[[Alan Sutton Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7509-0634-0}}

*{{cite book |editor-last=Hibbert |editor-first=Christopher |editor-link=Christopher Hibbert |year=1988 |title=[[The Encyclopaedia of Oxford]] |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]] |chapter=Morrell Avenue / Morrell's Brewery |page=261 |isbn=0-333-39917-X}}

*{{cite book |last=Tyack |first=Geoffrey |title=Oxford An Architectural Guide |year=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford & New York |isbn=0-19-817423-3 |page=269}}

*{{cite journal |last1=Woolley |first1=Liz |year=2010 |title=Industrial Architecture in Oxford, 1870 to 1914 |journal=Oxoniensia |volume=LXXV |page=79 |publisher=[[Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society]] |issn=0308-5562}}

{{commons category|Morrell's Brewery|position=left}}

[[Category:1743 establishments in England]]<!-- as a brewery -->

[[Category:1998 disestablishments in England]]

[[Category:British companies established in 1782]]

<!-- under Morrells name -->

[[Category:British companies disestablished in 1998]]

[[Category:Defunct breweries of the United Kingdom]]

[[Category:History of Oxford]]

[[Category:1782 establishments in England]]

[[Category:Food and drink companies established in 1782]]