| Joshua Tetley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 July 1778 Armley, West Yorkshire |
| Died | 26 August 1859 (age 81) Leeds, West Yorkshire |
| Resting place | Hampsthwaite, North Yorkshire |
| Residence | Park Square, Leeds, West Yorkshire |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Brewer |
| Known for | the founding of the Tetley's Brewery in 1822 |
| Partner | Hannah Carbutt |
Joshua Tetley (20 July 1778 – 26 August 1859) was the founder of the Tetley's Brewery in Leeds, England. The brewery was founded in 1822 and Joshua Tetley bought the brewery for £400. In 1839, Tetley made his son a partner of the business. It is a common misconception that the former Tetley's huntsman logo[1] was a depiction of Tetley.[2][3]
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Tetley was born into a middle class family of Malters originally from the West Yorkshire village of Birkenshaw.[4] His grandfather, William Tetley had formed a successful malters business in Armley, (at the time only a small village close to Leeds). The malters became a success and William, built up a business of wine and beer merchants in Leeds city centre (then a town centre).[5] Tetley was the third born of four brothers, Isaac, William and James.[6] Tetley's elder brother William died age two.[7]
The Tetley's business at first expanded under Tetley's father, however in 1801, the entire Tetley's empire went into Bankruptcy. By 1801 when the bankruptcy was filed Tetley's had customers in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire and Surrey. By 1803, Tetley's father was back in business, becoming a Leeds based agent for the Imperial Fire Insurance Office of London, an agency which kept running until 1857.[8]
Aged 29, Tetley married Hannah Carbutt on 12 March 1808 at Sheffield Parish Church. Carbutt hailed from an affluent family which included former Mayors of both York and Leeds.[9] The two settled in a grand house on Park Square in Leeds. In 1822, aged 44, Tetley leased the William Sykes' Brewery in Salem Place, Hunslet.[5] Unusually for the time, Tetley more or less head hunted his staff, looking only for the most skilled brewers and malters and gaining them from as far away as Manchester. Once the brewery was established it was the second largest in Leeds and had an estimated value of £22, while the Robert Arthington brewery held an estimated value of £100.[10] The Beer House Act of 1830, allowed Tetley's business to grew and allowed his recently acquired ale houses to open between 4 am and 10 pm. The temperance movement approved beer as a temperate alternative to spirits, which lead to the growth of many small breweries. When Tetley's father William Tetley died in 1834, Joshua received (according to William's 1820 will) £450 worth of his assets, much of which was invested in Tetley's growing empire.[11]
Tetley's wife Hannah died on 13 May 1857 (aged 72) and was buried in Hampsthwaite. Two years later on 26 August 1859, Tetley also died and was buried in a shared grave with his wife.[12]
