Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1939-1989 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 linear metre
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The precise origin of the Truman family's involvement in brewing is unclear. Although 1666 is often cited as the start date, it is more likely to have been in 1679 when Joseph Truman Senior (died 1721) acquired the Black Eagle Street brewhouse from William Bucknall. Joseph retired in 1730 and his son Benjamin (died 1780) developed the business so that in 1760 Truman's brewery was the third biggest in London, brewing 60,000 barrels of beer per annum. After 1780, James Grant (died 1788), Sir Benjamin's assistant and executor, ran the business whilst the property passed to Sir Benjamin's grandsons, General Henry Read and William Truman Read.
In 1789 Sampson Hanbury acquired James Grant's share of the business and manged the brewery until 1835. He was joined in 1811 by his nephew Thomas Fowell Buxton. Additional partners joined in 1816: Thomas Marlborough Pryor and Robert Pryor, who had previously run Proctors brewhouse, Shoreditch. Production rose from 100,000 barrels per annum in 1800 to 400,000 barrels per annum in 1850, so becoming the largest brewery in London.
Truman Hanbury Buxton and Co. Ltd was registered in 1889 as a limited liability company. The company was acquired by Grand Metropolitan Hotels Ltd in 1971 and changed its name to Trumans Ltd. In 1974 it merged with Watney Mann Ltd. Brewing at Burton ceased in 1971 but the Black Eagle Brewery at Brick Lane continued to operate until 1988. In 1991, Grand Metropolitan Hotels Ltd was taken over by Courage Ltd.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0074 ACC/3025 1939-1989 Collection 1 linear metre Truman, Hanbury Buxton and Co Ltd , brewers x Trumans Ltd
The precise origin of the Truman family's involvement in brewing is unclear. Although 1666 is often cited as the start date, it is more likely to have been in 1679 when Joseph Truman Senior (died 1721) acquired the Black Eagle Street brewhouse from William Bucknall. Joseph retired in 1730 and his son Benjamin (died 1780) developed the business so that in 1760 Truman's brewery was the third biggest in London, brewing 60,000 barrels of beer per annum. After 1780, James Grant (died 1788), Sir Benjamin's assistant and executor, ran the business whilst the property passed to Sir Benjamin's grandsons, General Henry Read and William Truman Read.
In 1789 Sampson Hanbury acquired James Grant's share of the business and manged the brewery until 1835. He was joined in 1811 by his nephew Thomas Fowell Buxton. Additional partners joined in 1816: Thomas Marlborough Pryor and Robert Pryor, who had previously run Proctors brewhouse, Shoreditch. Production rose from 100,000 barrels per annum in 1800 to 400,000 barrels per annum in 1850, so becoming the largest brewery in London.
Truman Hanbury Buxton and Co. Ltd was registered in 1889 as a limited liability company. The company was acquired by Grand Metropolitan Hotels Ltd in 1971 and changed its name to Trumans Ltd. In 1974 it merged with Watney Mann Ltd. Brewing at Burton ceased in 1971 but the Black Eagle Brewery at Brick Lane continued to operate until 1988. In 1991, Grand Metropolitan Hotels Ltd was taken over by Courage Ltd.
Received in 1992 (Acc/3025).
Personal papers of James Barr, employee of Trumans Ltd, including Transport and General Workers Union cards and papers, Truman's Sports Club rules and fixture lists, and papers relating to the company including redundancy scheme, annual excursions, regulations and agreements, 1939-1989; handbooks, programmes, rules, fixture lists and posters for the London Breweries Amateur Sports Association and the Highgate Harriers Athletic Club, 1951-1979; issues of company publications including 'The Black Eagle', the 'Truman Times', '1666', 'Truman News', 'Truman Topics', 'Watney Truman News' and 'Stag and Eagle' (Watney Combe Reid publication), 1948-1989; annual reports and pension scheme information, 1977-1989; and issues of 'The Master Brewer' and 'The National Brewery Museum Chronicle', 1968-1986.
In sections: ACC/3025/001-003: Union; ACC/3025/004-005: Sports; ACC/3025/006-042: Company Publications; ACC/3025/043-046: Annual reports; ACC/3025/047-048: General Publications.
Available for general access.
Copyright rests with the City of London.
English
Fit
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Further records of Truman, Hanbury Buxton can be found at references B/THB, ACC/0107, ACC/0146, ACC/0669 and ACC/3025.
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.
July to October 2009 Food industry personnel Brewers Architecture Buildings Commercial buildings Breweries Business records Information sources Documents Reports Annual reports People People by occupation Personnel Employees Labour relations Trade unions Information sciences Communications media Publications Periodicals Clubs Sports clubs Company archives Barr , James (Jimmy) , fl 1939-1989 , employee of Truman Ltd Truman , Hanbury Buxton and Co Ltd , brewers x Trumans Ltd Brick Lane Spitalfields London England UK Western Europe Europe Tower Hamlets Leisure time activities Leisure
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Received in 1992 (Acc/3025).
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Personal papers of James Barr, employee of Trumans Ltd, including Transport and General Workers Union cards and papers, Truman's Sports Club rules and fixture lists, and papers relating to the company including redundancy scheme, annual excursions, regulations and agreements, 1939-1989; handbooks, programmes, rules, fixture lists and posters for the London Breweries Amateur Sports Association and the Highgate Harriers Athletic Club, 1951-1979; issues of company publications including 'The Black Eagle', the 'Truman Times', '1666', 'Truman News', 'Truman Topics', 'Watney Truman News' and 'Stag and Eagle' (Watney Combe Reid publication), 1948-1989; annual reports and pension scheme information, 1977-1989; and issues of 'The Master Brewer' and 'The National Brewery Museum Chronicle', 1968-1986.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
In sections: ACC/3025/001-003: Union; ACC/3025/004-005: Sports; ACC/3025/006-042: Company Publications; ACC/3025/043-046: Annual reports; ACC/3025/047-048: General Publications.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Available for general access.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright rests with the City of London.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Further records of Truman, Hanbury Buxton can be found at references B/THB, ACC/0107, ACC/0146, ACC/0669 and ACC/3025.
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
Subject access points
- Architecture » Buildings
- Information sources
- Documents
- Personnel
- Personnel » Employees
- Labour relations
- Labour relations » Trade unions
- Information sciences
- Leisure time activities » Clubs
- Leisure time activities
- Leisure
- Finance
- Personnel
- Literature
- Literary forms and genres
- Literary forms and genres » Prose
- Industrial economics
- Industrial economics » Industrial policy » Mergers
- Industrial economics » Industrial policy
- Information sources
- Documents
- Documents » Primary documents
- Agricultural products » Food
- Agricultural products
- Agricultural products » Food » Beverages
- Agricultural products » Food » Beverages » Alcoholic beverages
- Architecture » Buildings
- Agronomy
- Agronomy » Cultivation
- Agronomy » Cultivation » Food production
- Management
- Management » Business management
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