DE-CODING THE MORSES - by Eric Dore - a new book of Morse family and brewery research to be published on 10 November 2015
A short history of the Lowestoft and Swaffham brewing interests of the partnerships of Morse and Woods and E & G Morse: 1844 – 1936 (together with notes on brewing at Norwich by members of the Morse family since 1797 and their subsequent involvement with Steward & Patteson Ltd)
“lovingly researched” and “richly illustrated” - The Brewery History Society
The author writes
I was enjoying a quiet lunchtime pint at what is, in my opinion, one of the best traditional pubs in East Anglia - the Triangle Tavern in Lowestoft, the original home of Green Jack Brewery - when I got into a conversation (as you do at the Triangle) about local beers and old breweries. We talked about Lacons and Steward & Patteson (both of which, coincidentally, have recently been revived and re-established as breweries) and then the person I was speaking to said “surely you know about the old brewery in Crown Street – most of it is still there”
Well, being a bit of a newcomer to the area I did not know about it but I was sure going to find out. So, I went and had a look from the outside – amazing! From that point on I became hooked and resolved to discover the history of E & G Morse’s Crown Brewery which it transpires brewed there between 1895 and 1936. A few enquiries led to the current owners of the building, who very kindly agreed to give me a guided tour and to point out traces of the brewery that they had found.
After a tour of the building, substantially intact particularly externally, it does not take too much imagination to picture a busy working brewery which became the inspiration for the book.
“lovingly researched” and “richly illustrated” - The Brewery History Society
Lowestoft
The history of brewing by the Morse family at Bell Lane (later re-named Crown Street) Lowestoft, starting with Frederick Morse, is traced from 1842. By 1844, Frederick had entered into a partnership arrangement with Henry Woods to form Morse and Woods who traded at the Crown Brewery until 1895.
The development of the brewery and the site from which it traded is followed through the 19th century (highlighting the highs and lows) with details of many of the beers brewed.
From 1895, the brewery was operated by two of Frederick’s sons, Edgar and Gilbert Morse, under the style E & G Morse. The apparently unexpected departure of Edgar in the early 1900s left Gilbert solely responsible for the brewery. The history of this (and subsequent events) is traced until the business was taken over (and the brewery closed) by Morgans of Norwich in 1936.
Swaffham
Brewing by the Morse family at Swaffham at Black Horse Lane (later re-named White Hart Lane) started somewhat earlier, in 1809, when Thomas Morse (Frederick’s grandfather) bought the Swaffham Brewery and its public houses. The brewer was John Morse, the son of Thomas, but both John and his wife died at early ages. As a result, the brewery was run by executors and trustees in the 1830s until John’s eldest son Arthur was able to take control in the early 1840s.
Several unsuccessful attempts were made to sell the brewery between 1847 and 1859 before, finally, in 1861, the Swaffham Brewery and its estate was acquired by the Lowestoft brewing partnership of Morse and Woods. The history of brewing is traced until the 1890s when Swaffham Brewery was sold to Steward & Patteson Ltd where Frederick’s cousin George Henry Morse was a director.
Norwich
Brewing at Norwich started earlier still (in 1797) when John Morse (this John Morse was the brother of Thomas Morse who purchased the brewery at Swaffham) acquired breweries and public houses from the estate of the late John Day.
The history is traced to 1831 when Morse’s Oak Street Brewery was merged with the Steward & Patteson partnership. As a result, members of the Morse family had interests in the Steward & Patteson partnership and, subsequently, following the incorporation of Steward & Patteson in 1895, company shares were acquired. The shareholdings are then traced until the Watney Mann takeover in 1963.
Additional information
There is a significant amount of additional information to be found in the book appendices. A summary of the early Morse and Woods brewing books forms Appendix 1 and details of the public houses of Morse and Woods / E & G Morse are shown in Appendix 2.
During the research, information came to light about a number of breweries which existed in Lowestoft between about 1782 and 1936 and details are shown in Appendix 4. I am delighted to be able to include also, a paper written by David Butcher which extends the Lowestoft brewing history story back to 1560 and this is Appendix 6.
A short history of the Lowestoft and Swaffham brewing interests of the partnerships of Morse and Woods and E & G Morse: 1844 – 1936 (together with notes on brewing at Norwich by members of the Morse family since 1797 and their subsequent involvement with Steward & Patteson Ltd)
“lovingly researched” and “richly illustrated” - The Brewery History Society
The author writes
I was enjoying a quiet lunchtime pint at what is, in my opinion, one of the best traditional pubs in East Anglia - the Triangle Tavern in Lowestoft, the original home of Green Jack Brewery - when I got into a conversation (as you do at the Triangle) about local beers and old breweries. We talked about Lacons and Steward & Patteson (both of which, coincidentally, have recently been revived and re-established as breweries) and then the person I was speaking to said “surely you know about the old brewery in Crown Street – most of it is still there”
Well, being a bit of a newcomer to the area I did not know about it but I was sure going to find out. So, I went and had a look from the outside – amazing! From that point on I became hooked and resolved to discover the history of E & G Morse’s Crown Brewery which it transpires brewed there between 1895 and 1936. A few enquiries led to the current owners of the building, who very kindly agreed to give me a guided tour and to point out traces of the brewery that they had found.
After a tour of the building, substantially intact particularly externally, it does not take too much imagination to picture a busy working brewery which became the inspiration for the book.
“lovingly researched” and “richly illustrated” - The Brewery History Society
Lowestoft
The history of brewing by the Morse family at Bell Lane (later re-named Crown Street) Lowestoft, starting with Frederick Morse, is traced from 1842. By 1844, Frederick had entered into a partnership arrangement with Henry Woods to form Morse and Woods who traded at the Crown Brewery until 1895.
The development of the brewery and the site from which it traded is followed through the 19th century (highlighting the highs and lows) with details of many of the beers brewed.
From 1895, the brewery was operated by two of Frederick’s sons, Edgar and Gilbert Morse, under the style E & G Morse. The apparently unexpected departure of Edgar in the early 1900s left Gilbert solely responsible for the brewery. The history of this (and subsequent events) is traced until the business was taken over (and the brewery closed) by Morgans of Norwich in 1936.
Swaffham
Brewing by the Morse family at Swaffham at Black Horse Lane (later re-named White Hart Lane) started somewhat earlier, in 1809, when Thomas Morse (Frederick’s grandfather) bought the Swaffham Brewery and its public houses. The brewer was John Morse, the son of Thomas, but both John and his wife died at early ages. As a result, the brewery was run by executors and trustees in the 1830s until John’s eldest son Arthur was able to take control in the early 1840s.
Several unsuccessful attempts were made to sell the brewery between 1847 and 1859 before, finally, in 1861, the Swaffham Brewery and its estate was acquired by the Lowestoft brewing partnership of Morse and Woods. The history of brewing is traced until the 1890s when Swaffham Brewery was sold to Steward & Patteson Ltd where Frederick’s cousin George Henry Morse was a director.
Norwich
Brewing at Norwich started earlier still (in 1797) when John Morse (this John Morse was the brother of Thomas Morse who purchased the brewery at Swaffham) acquired breweries and public houses from the estate of the late John Day.
The history is traced to 1831 when Morse’s Oak Street Brewery was merged with the Steward & Patteson partnership. As a result, members of the Morse family had interests in the Steward & Patteson partnership and, subsequently, following the incorporation of Steward & Patteson in 1895, company shares were acquired. The shareholdings are then traced until the Watney Mann takeover in 1963.
Additional information
There is a significant amount of additional information to be found in the book appendices. A summary of the early Morse and Woods brewing books forms Appendix 1 and details of the public houses of Morse and Woods / E & G Morse are shown in Appendix 2.
During the research, information came to light about a number of breweries which existed in Lowestoft between about 1782 and 1936 and details are shown in Appendix 4. I am delighted to be able to include also, a paper written by David Butcher which extends the Lowestoft brewing history story back to 1560 and this is Appendix 6.