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by Hugh Pihlens

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You are in [Themes] [Inns & Alehouses] [Crown Brewery]

Summary: 23 High Street. Angel Alehouse 1793 - c1832. Crown 1854 - c1938

Documents of 24 High Street refer to the adjacent property in 1793 as "The Angel". In the 1831 census this property was termed "The Angel" public house, consisting of a shop and garden, occupier Edward Collins. The 1836 Quit Rent lists the owner as Edward Collins, "for house late the Angel Alehouse ". It seems that The Angel had already closed.

In his will dated 1836, Edward Collins left the reside of his estate to his grand-daughter Emily Reeves, who appointed Richard Lye and John Tanner as her trustees, eventually selling in 1846 to James Keen, on whose death in 1849 it passed to Benjamin Keen and in 1850 to Crown Brewery.

It seems that by 1846 it was purchased by James Keen. By this time it had been converted into a dwelling house and shop and had been late in the occupation of Thomas Batson Reeves, painter and glazier. James Keen was the owner in the 1847 Commoners List - although there was no occupier at the time. James Keen died shortly after, and his will of 1850 provided for the property to be sold by his executors. It was accordingly put up for auction at the Bear on 11th November 1850.

The highest bidder was Benjamin Keen, the local chemist, who purchased it for the use of Henry Brookes Marriott of Hungerford, brewer.

1854 Billing Directory: Benjamin Keen, wine & spirit merchant.

Benjamin Keen died in 1858, and the property was described as "now converted into a Brewery and Spirit Shop 'The Crown Brewery '."

Benjamin Keen raised further mortgages on the property in 1851 and 1857. When he died in 1858 he left his estate to two trustees Thomas Wooldridge and Thomas Hutchins to hold on behalf of his wife Jane Elizabeth and his children. Jane E Keen is described in the 1861 census as (aged 34 years), a wine and spirit merchant. The 1863 Dutton & Allen Directory has Mrs J Keen in the "Market Place".

In 1863 Jane Elizabeth Keen married Henry Edward Astley.

1869 Kelly Directory: Thomas Frankland
1869 Census: Thomas Frankland
1871 Census: Thomas Frankland, brewer.

On Jane Keen's death in 1876 the property descended to the three children of her first husband Benjamin Keen – Anne, Clara and Benjamin Henry. Benjamin, however, died on board the U.S. ship "Pensacola" in 1880 without issue and the two daughters Anne and Clara, having married, sold the brewery mortgage to the sitting tenant Elisha Love (1890), together with a plot which had been added to it at the rear between the then new Corn Exchange and Church Street.
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Crown Brewery, c1902



	23 High Street, Feb 2007

	The landlords of The Crown Brewery were: 1850-58 Benjamin Keen 1858-67 Jane Elizabeth Keen 1867-68 Thomas Frankland 1883-96 Elisha Love 1897-1913 Thomas E. Crook 1913-c1935 Adnams (of Newbury), passed to South Berks Brewery.



		T.E. Crook, Hungerford

Anne Keen married Charles Seabrooke of Grays Essex, brewer. Her sister Clara Keen married John B. Cotterell of Hungerford, agricultural implement maker

Elisha Love remained at The Crown described as a wine and spirit merchant until 1896 [and died in 1909, leaving a widow Margaret and son F. Edward Love, licensed victualler].

The licensee to follow was Tom E. Crook. In 1901 Love sold The Crown Brewery to Tom Crook, but Crook, who had raised a mortgage from the Capital & Counties Bank went bankrupt in 1913 and the bank foreclosing, found a buyer in F.M. Adnams, the Newbury brewer.

At some date c1903 the frontage of the property was considerably altered, as can be seen from the photographs.

Various owners followed, including (in 1917) Joseph N. Day (of Newbury, auctioneer) and later the same year J. Mason, accountant, and Francis Mason Adnams, brewer, both of Newbury.

During the period 1917-36 it was owned by South Berks Brewery Company.
1928 (Kelly) Frederick Isley
1931 (Kelly) Geo F R James

Between c.1920-30 permission was granted to build on bay windows to Crown Brewery.

In 1932 it was owned by Adnams the brewers, but by 1938 it was owned by Lt. Col. V.R. Cotter, the property now being called "Crown House", it no longer being a licensed premises.