Samuel Whitbread (30 August 1720 – 11 June 1796) was an English brewer and Member of Parliament. In 1742, he established a brewery that in 1799 became Whitbread & Co Ltd.[1]
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Samuel Whitbread was born at Cardington in Bedfordshire, the seventh of eight children. He left for London aged 14 and became an apprentice to a London brewer, John Witman. Eventually becoming owner of one of the largest breweries in the world. He married (1) Harriet Hayton by whom he had one son and two daughters. His son was the politician, Samuel Whitbread. He married (2) Lady Mary Cornwallis (1736-70) by whom he had one daughter, Mary Whitbread (1770-1858) who married Sir George Grey, 1st Baronet, 3rd son of Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey of Howick.
Whitbread became very rich and bought Lord Torrington's Southill Estate, Elstow Manor, and other substantial property.[2] When he died on 11 June 1796, the Gentleman's Magazine claimed that he was "worth over a million pounds".[3]
Whitbread went into partnership with Thomas Shewell in 1742, investing £2,600 in two of Shewell's small breweries, the Goat Brewhouse (where porter was produced) and a brewery in Brick Lane (used to produce pale and amber beers). Demand for the strong, black porter meant the business had to move to larger premises in Chiswell Street in 1750.
By 1760, it had become the second largest brewery in London (producing almost 64,000 barrels annually). Five years later Whitbread bought out Shewell for £30,000. By the end of the century, Whitbread's business was London's biggest producer of beer, producing 202,000 barrels in 1796. The brewery was also one of the first to employ a steam engine (purchasing a sun and planet gear engine from James Watt's company in 1785).
Whitbread was elected Member of Parliament for Bedford in 1768, and held the seat until 1790,[4] and then represented Steyning from 1792 to 1796. He was an early supporter for the abolition of slavery and took part in some of the anti-slavery debates of 1788 in the House of Commons.[5]
In May 1787 the brewery was visited by King George III and Queen Charlotte.
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Francis Herne Richard Vernon |
Member for Bedford with Richard Vernon 1768–1774 |
Succeeded by Sir William Wake, Bt Robert Sparrow |
| Preceded by Sir William Wake, Bt Robert Sparrow |
Member for Bedford with Sir William Wake, Bt 1775–1784 William MacDowall Colhoun 1784–1790 1775–1790 |
Succeeded by William MacDowall Colhoun Samuel Whitbread |
| Preceded by John Curtis James Martin Lloyd |
Member of Parliament for Steyning with John Curtis 1792–1794 John Henniker-Major 1794–1796 1792–1796 |
Succeeded by John Henniker-Major James Martin Lloyd |