Administrative/Biographical History
The business was established in about 1720 in a former whisky distillery in Prestonpans, Scotland. By 1774 the brewery was in the hands of Robert Fowler who was succeeded by his son, John Fowler. The site was extensively reconstructed in 1828. John Fowler died in 1839 and the management passed to his nephew, Robert Hislop, who remained the sole proprietor until the White family acquired the business in 1865.
John Fowler & Co Ltd was registered as a limited liability company in 1865 to acquire the firm of the same name. The company, along with 36 licensed houses and 2 hotels, was acquired in April 1960 by Northern Breweries of Great Britain Ltd, York, England, who simultaneously acquired two other Scottish breweries, namely, William Murray & Co Ltd, Edinburgh, Scotland, and George Younger & Son Ltd, Alloa, Scotland.
These three breweries were then grouped into a newly formed company called Caledonian Breweries Ltd, which in May 1960 became United Caledonian Breweries Ltd, when the companies of John Jeffrey & Co Ltd, Edinburgh, and James Aitken & Co Ltd, Falkirk, Scotland, were added to the group. United Caledonian Breweries Ltd operated as a management company for the Scottish interests of Northern Breweries of Great Britain Ltd (later United Breweries Ltd), York, England, and London, England, which merged in 1962 with Charrington & Co Ltd, London, through a holding company, Charrington United Breweries Ltd, London.
Brewing ceased at Prestonpans in March 1962, however, the maltings were used for a little longer until the entire brewery closed in 1964. The brewery buildings were still standing in 1985. John Fowler & Co Ltd was finally dissolved in 1989.
Sources:
Richmond, Lesley and Turton, Alison (eds), The Brewing Industry. A Guide to Historical Records, (Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 1990).
McMaster, Charles and Rutherford, Tom, The Tennent Caledonian Breweries, (1985).
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Scope and Content
- Corporate records, 1930–1969
- Shareholding records, 1964–1968
- Financial records, 1890–1962
- Production records, 1931
- Sales records, 1931–1937
- Staff records, 1931–c.1945
- Property records, 1960
- Promotional material, 1931–1960
- Photographs, c.1985
- Artefacts, undated
- Historical notes, 1986
System of Arrangement:
The material is arranged according to the Scottish Brewing Archive classification scheme used within all SBA collections.
Custodial History:
The collection was previously stored with the rest of the Scottish Brewing Archive at Heriot–Watt University. It moved to the University of Glasgow in 1991.
Immediate Source of Acquisition:
Morfax Ltd and Tennent Caledonian Breweries Ltd.
Appraisal, Destruction and Scheduling:
This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 1127 procedures.
Accruals:
None expected.
Access Conditions:
Open.
Copyright / Reproduction:
Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the Scottish Brewing Archivist.
Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use & condition of documents.
Existence of Copies:
No known copies.
This material is original.
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