Leesons and beer.

A Little Bit Of Leeson Brewing History.

The Leesons were brewing beer in Dublin from about the 1680s onwards but details are hard to come by.

The first English Leeson brewer I have come across was Charles Leeson of 6 Horninglow Street, Burton on Trent. His brewery and maltings were founded during the 1720s by Willian Newton and acquired by Charles Leeson in 1753. The premises comprised of a house, garden, brewhouse, tun house, malthouses and other buildings. In 1801 the family executors sold the brewery to Joseph Clay and Son who owned the adjacent Lamb and Flag Brewery.

My Grandfather John Leeson (standing at the back) at work in the 1920s.

He was a drayman working for the Hammerton brewery (1921 census). Family oral history says that he drove his wagon and team of 4 horses through Blackwall Tunnel regularly. 

The brewery was located at 32 Frances Street, Woolwich according to the 1916 directory. This was just outside the gates of the Red Barracks and a stones throw from the family home in Back Lane. None of these buildings exist anymore.

Link to 1890s and 1940s Maps

The directory is from 1916, it was like the yellow pages of its time. At some stage the street were renumbered to how we know them, odds on one side, evens on the other.

The map is from approx. 1940s.

Here is an older map aprrox. 1890's which shows the corresponding buildings before they were demolished. Use the slider to mix between the two.

The current generation of brewers.