New Acquisitions

In 1900 the company began to take over other breweries and public houses, starting with H. Plant & Sons, wine and spirit merchants, and their licensed houses. Mr. C. P. Plant, a director of H. Plant & Sons, joined the Board.

Other acquisitions included:

1919 James Cahill, and Swan Brewery, St Matthew's Street, Heath Town, Wolverhampton.
1923 Jack Downing's Black Horse Brewery, Dudley with over twenty tied houses.
1925 The Bloxwich Brewery Company Limited, with 42 tied houses.
1925 Butlers acquired the public houses owned by William Blencowe & Company Limited, Cannock Brewery.
1928 Eley’s Stafford Brewery Limited.
1932 Thomas Russell Limited, its Great Western Brewery, Great Western Street, Wolverhampton, and its 14 tied houses. The brewery was shut down.
1932 All the pubs belonging to the West Midland Brewery, Willenhall.
1945 William Bowen Limited, Cross Inn Brewery, 2 Oldbury Road, Greets Green, West Bromwich.
1945 Thomas Oliver Limited, Sandwell Brewery, Walsall Street, West Bromwich. Makers of Throstle Ales.
1945 J. A. & A. Thompson Limited, Oldbury.
1945 A. H. Clarke, Wellington.
1946 James Pritchard & Son, Church Street, Darlaston.
1947 Radcliff & Company, Kidderminster.

One of the pubs acquired from Eley's Brewery is The Greyhound & Punchbowl in Bilston. In 1936 Butlers produced a booklet to commemorate its refurbishment. View the booklet.

In 1932 Butlers acquired its local rival Thomas Russell Limited, based at Great Western Brewery, Great Western Street, Wolverhampton, and its 14 tied houses. The brewery was immediately shut down, and sold. It appeared for sale at an auction on 8th June, 1932 held at the Victoria Hotel, Wolverhampton. The brewing plant was excluded from the sale, presumably to discourage would-be purchasers from setting themselves up in competition.

A plan of the Great Western Brewery from the sale catalogue.
The first page of the sale catalogue, which included Butler's Angel Hotel at Brewood.
The second page of the catalogue.
The third page of the catalogue.
By 1950 William Butler & Company Limited was one of the four largest brewers in the West Midlands. The others were Ansell's, Mitchells and Butlers, and Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries.
 

Courtesy of Frank Sharman.

 

Courtesy of Frank Sharman.


   
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