Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1920-1971 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1.36 linear metres
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Improved Public House Company Limited located at 15 Red Lion Square was founded in 1920 and began as the pet project of Sir Sydney Nevile, managing director of Whitbread. Nevile believed strongly in the need for reform of public houses both for commercial as well as social benefit and he persuaded Whitbread to fund his project.
He had been encouraged by the success of the Carlisle Scheme where the Central Control Board, of which Nevile was a member, had taken control of the licensed trade. They has achieved great success by improving many of their assets with better ventilation, lighting and seating, music, meals, recreation and sometimes even separate rooms for women.
Due to the stubborness of magistrates who refused to allow existing houses to be enlarged, Nevile commissioned the building of a completely new Improved Public House and the Welcome Inn at Eltham was opened by Sir Kingsley Wood in the early 1920s.
Over time the company prospered by incorporating some of Whitbread's bigger and more successful public houses, including the Railway Tavern which was acquired by Whitbread in 1936. Although there was a feeling among some of the other tenants that this was creating a division of class between Whitbread's pubs, the Improved Public House Company helped to improve Whitbread's profile and contributed to the securing of a majority shareholding in Welwyn Restaurants giving the brewery a monopoly on supply to Welwyn Garden City's five pubs.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0074 LMA/4453/N 1920-1971 Collection 1.36 linear metres Improved Public House Co Ltd , public house management company
The Improved Public House Company Limited located at 15 Red Lion Square was founded in 1920 and began as the pet project of Sir Sydney Nevile, managing director of Whitbread. Nevile believed strongly in the need for reform of public houses both for commercial as well as social benefit and he persuaded Whitbread to fund his project.
He had been encouraged by the success of the Carlisle Scheme where the Central Control Board, of which Nevile was a member, had taken control of the licensed trade. They has achieved great success by improving many of their assets with better ventilation, lighting and seating, music, meals, recreation and sometimes even separate rooms for women.
Due to the stubborness of magistrates who refused to allow existing houses to be enlarged, Nevile commissioned the building of a completely new Improved Public House and the Welcome Inn at Eltham was opened by Sir Kingsley Wood in the early 1920s.
Over time the company prospered by incorporating some of Whitbread's bigger and more successful public houses, including the Railway Tavern which was acquired by Whitbread in 1936. Although there was a feeling among some of the other tenants that this was creating a division of class between Whitbread's pubs, the Improved Public House Company helped to improve Whitbread's profile and contributed to the securing of a majority shareholding in Welwyn Restaurants giving the brewery a monopoly on supply to Welwyn Garden City's five pubs.
Received in 2001 as a gift.
Records of the Improved Public House Company Limited, a subsidiary of Whitbread and Company Limited, brewers. The records cover mainly corporate and financial papers including minutes, registers, private ledgers, accounts, and property agreements.
LMA/4453/N/01: Minutes;
LMA/4453/N/02: Registers;
LMA/4453/N/03: Journals and private ledgers;
LMA/4453/N/04: Accounts;
LMA/4453/N/05: Agreements.
Available for general access.
Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation of London.
English
Fit
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
See also LMA/4453/L (Welwyn Restaurants Ltd) and LMA/4453/T (Railway Tavern Ltd). For the Whitbread Archivist's files on The Improved Public House Company see LMA/4453/G/05/05.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
November 2009 to February 2010 Food industry personnel Brewers Architecture Buildings Commercial buildings Breweries Business records Corporate minutes Management Business management Information sources Documents Financial records Industry Manufacturing industry Food industry Brewing industry Personnel People by occupation People Business administration Property Company archives Nevile , Sir , Sydney Oswald , 1873-1969 , Knight , brewer Improved Public House Co Ltd , public house management company London England UK Western Europe Europe Business
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Received in 2001 as a gift.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of the Improved Public House Company Limited, a subsidiary of Whitbread and Company Limited, brewers. The records cover mainly corporate and financial papers including minutes, registers, private ledgers, accounts, and property agreements.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
LMA/4453/N/01: Minutes;
LMA/4453/N/02: Registers;
LMA/4453/N/03: Journals and private ledgers;
LMA/4453/N/04: Accounts;
LMA/4453/N/05: Agreements.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Available for general access.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation of London.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
See also LMA/4453/L (Welwyn Restaurants Ltd) and LMA/4453/T (Railway Tavern Ltd). For the Whitbread Archivist's files on The Improved Public House Company see LMA/4453/G/05/05.
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English