Thrale.com states that the Anchor name was acquired during Child's ownership, since he supplied the navy with "masts, yards and bowsprits as well as stores and beer."
Wikipedia gives the early life of this brewery, in Deadman's Place, Southwark, as follows: “..established in 1616 by James Monger Sr. … On his death, the brewery passed to his godson, James Monger Jr. James {we think this should read Josiah} Child acquired the brewery after the younger Monger's death in 1670, and owned it until his death in 1696. His son in law, Edmund Halsey, managed the business with James Child from 1693, and subsequently as sole proprietor until his death in 1729. The brewery was then purchased by Ralph Thrale, the brewery manager and a nephew of Halsey, for £30,000 in instalments over 11 years.”
The Thrale family turned into a large profitable business. On Henry Thrale's death in 1781 the brewery was sold to David Barclay (of Barclays Bank) and became Barclay Perkins, the largest brewery in the world. A fire in 1832 meant that much of the site was rebuilt and so attracted notable visitors, one being General Haynau. Barclay Perkins merged with Courage in 1955. By the 1970s the Southwark site was no longer used for brewing and has now been redeveloped for housing.
List of brewers:
The Monger family 1616-1670
Josiah Child 1670-1693
Edmund Halsey MP 1693-1729
Ralph Thrale 1729-1758
Henry Thrale 1758-1781
Barclay, Perkins & Co 1781-1955
Courage Ltd 1955-1986
The 1879 map shows 'Anchor Brewery' occupying the land bounded, roughly, by: Park Street, Redcross Street (now Way), Castle Street (now Thrale Street) and Southwark Bridge Street (now Road). Though some of the buildings to the north and east could also have been used by the Brewery ('Ale stores' and 'Hop warehouses').
'London a Pilgrimage', 1872, by Gustave Doré and Blanchard Jerrold has a chapter 'The town of malt' about this brewery, with text and some splendid drawings.
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