Eye - 28 July 2023

From Quakers and beer to Herons and frogs

Quakers and beer

A Friend recently discovered an unexpected connection between Quakers and a certain fermented beverage.

They write: ‘Victorian Quakers were not always teetotal, as we can see in an article spotted in the summer 2020 issue of Beer, the journal of the Campaign for Real Ale.’ [In an article delightfully titled: ‘Yeast Enders’!]

Between this article and the internet rabbit hole it inspired the Friend to explore, they found some surprising facts: ‘Round the corner from Shoreditch Station is Quaker Street, named after Sampson Hanbury, partner and then sole owner of Truman, Hanbury and Co, one of the largest breweries in nineteenth-century London. Despite the disapproval of many members of the Society, beer was a sensible choice in the East End because it was healthier than water and in this case the profits were put to good use, as we shall see.

‘Started in 1666 as a small brewhouse, the business expanded into the nineteenth century. Truman died in 1780, and then Hanbury ran it for several decades, bringing in his nephew, Thomas Fowell Buxton, to oversee further expansion.

‘Today there is a plaque commemorating Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, anti-slavery campaigner. Thomas married Hannah Fry, sister of Elizabeth, and helped finance much of her prison reform work. He also helped raise money for the weavers of London who were being forced into poverty by the factory system.

‘As an MP, he campaigned on criminal law and pushed for the abolition of the death penalty. Today the brewery buildings have been transformed into a flourishing centre for the arts and businesses.’

Talking of Quakers and pubs, this same Friend offers the following titbit: ‘Ye Hole in the Wall, said to be Liverpool’s oldest pub, has its cellar on the first floor, because it was built over a Quaker burial ground!’