Fred King
Fred King (c1828- )
In July, 1868, Fred King bought the Maulkin's Maltings and other property in St Mary's Square from his father in law, Robert Maulkin, for £5,300 using a mortgage from the Maulkin Family Trust. The maltings were very old and unmodernised, so a site was cleared on the corner of Westgate Street for an up to date "tower" brewery.
Fred King was aged 40 in 1868, when he built the brand new St. Edmund's Brewery in Sparhawk Street, towering over Greene's Brewery only a few yards away in Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds. It started producing beer at Easter, 1869, and they were acknowledged to be very good beers. King's stout was especially good.
The Maulkins also owned 6 pubs in town, like the Ram in Eastgate Street, giving a ready made outlet for King's beer. King was a shrewd man with 11 children to support, and began to buy up more pubs after 1870. He became stiff competition for Greene's business.
From 1870 to 1880 Fred King bought 40 inns, pubs, and beer-houses, and tied them all to buying his beer.
Became Greene King