The surviving records of the Isleworth Brewery Company Limited consist mainly of an interesting series of account books and ledgers, covering the period 1796-1949, reports and annual balance sheets, 1886-1914, and a number of bundles of title deeds relating to the licensed houses acquired by the firm. One splendid item, worthy of greater comment, is the general ledger, 1796-1810. This volume in its worn vellum laced binding, records the sale of ale, porter, hock and other liquors to innkeepers in Isleworth, Hounslow, Ealing, Heston, Brentford and other places in south west Middlesex and Northern Surrey. In addition to this are recorded direct sales to such eminent persons as the Duke of Northumberland, the Duke of Marlborough, the Earl of Jersey and many members of Regency society living at Twickenham. At the other end of the scale the dairy maids at Osterley regularly purchased large quantities of ale as did anonymous haymakers working in the fields of aristocratic landowners just mentioned! As well as these more formal business transactions the ledger includes accounts of family and household expenses. Of the 20th century accounting records, a wages book, 1914-1949 is of considerable interest. Detailed lists are given of the workers employed by the brewery at Isleworth, including coopers, engineers, maltsters, draymen, stablemen and office cleaners, together with the wages paid to each individual over a long run of years.
The bulk of the records relating to Sich and Company are deeds of title relating to licensed premises in Chiswick, Kew, Hammersmith, Chelsea and Brentford. Unfortunately for this company, unlike the Isleworth Brewery, no accounting records have survived to indicate the extent of its business. On the other hand, a considerable amount of correspondence between the company and its solicitors exists for the period 1830-1880. This deals with such matters as purchasing, leasing and selling of property, and the solving of disputes arising between the company, as landlord, and its tenants. A more personal note is introduced by a small bundle of letters and legal papers concerning the separation of John Sich's daughter from her erring husband in 1850. Only a few title deeds and the wages book mentioned above go beyond the take-over date by Messrs. Watney, Combe, Reid and Company.
The only other coherent group of brewing records held here are those of Fuller, Smith and Turner of Chiswick. The nature of the records of the two companies concerned is such that they in great measure complement one another, enabling a relatively comprehensive picture to be created of the small beginnings of part of what is today an enormous commercial structure.
Isleworth Brewery Ltd Watney Combe Reid and Co Ltd , brewers Sich and Co Ltd , brewers