Reid and Co

Griffin Brewery of Liquor Pond Street (now Clerkenwell Road), Holborn

1757 Richard Meux (bap. 1734, d. 1813), with a Scottish partner, acquired a run-down brewery in the Long Acre district of London

1763 The brewery was damaged by fire. A new brewery, the Griffin Brewery, was soon built in Liquorpond Rd.

By 1787 Richard Meux appears to have been the sole proprietor. The brewery produced c.50,000 barrels of porter a year but this less than half of the amount brewed by each of its major rivals.

Richard Meux gained publicity, such as by erecting ever larger vats in which to mature porter.

1793 Andrew Reid, a well-to-do merchant and distiller joined the company.

1798 Another partner joined, Robert Wigram, who was a rich East India merchant.

At some point the business became Reid, Meux and Co at the Griffin Brewery

Richard Meux brought his sons into the business.

Meux's sons fell out amongst themselves: the eldest son, Richard Meux (1768–1824), was declared insane in 1806; the second son, Henry Meux (bap. 1770, d. 1841), was constantly in disagreement with his brother Thomas who was in charge of the brewing operations.

1809 After a court case instigated by Andrew Reid, the brewery and assets of Meux and Company was sold to members of the Reid and Wigram families.

1807(?) Henry Meux separately purchased the Horse Shoe Brewery, located on the junction of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street.

c.1810 and for several years, Meux, Reid and Co were brewers

1858 Money Wigram senior was involved in the brewery (at least to 1873).

1862 Largest brewery under one roof.

1876 Boulton and Watt making a large pair of pumping engines for this brewery firm

1898 The businesses of Watney's, Combe's and Reid's were merged as Watney, Combe, Reid and Co. Reid's Brewery Co was voluntarily liquidated

See Also

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Sources of Information

• Meux family biography, ODNB [1]