JAMES ADNAMS

THE LATE MR. J. ADNAMS

One by one the old veterans of the hamlet of Speenhamland, as it was formerly called, are passing away, and this week we have to record the death of Mr. James Adnams, of Tidcombe Villa, who, for half a century, carried on successfully the Speenhamland Brewery.

The fourth son of Mr. John Adnams, of Harts Hill, he was born in the year 1823, and was one of the first pupils of Mr. Bew, when he succeeded to Speen Hill Academy in 1833.

The deceased was apprenticed to Mr. Pearce, clothier of the Market Place, the business now carried on by Mr. Beynon, after which he entered into partnership with Mr. P. Wells, the maltster, and, a few years later, was joined by Mr. Hunt, wine and spirit merchant, but on the partnership being dissolved, he retained the brewery, which he conducted until he relinquished it in favour of his son.

Mr. Adnams was of reserved disposition, but was a firm and lasting friend to those who were privileged to make his acquaintance. He married Miss Havell, of Reading, who, with his two sons, predeceased him.

The funeral took place on Friday afternoon in Newbury Cemetery, the officiating minister being the Rev. E.H. Titchmarsh, the remains being followed by members of the family as under:- Mrs. E. Blackett and Mrs Glover (daughters), Mr. Edmund Blackett, of Bath (son-in-law), Mr. James Blackett (grandson), Mrs. Adnams (daughter-in-law), Mr. F. Adnams (grandson), and his grandchildren (Messrs Ernest and Wilfred Glover), and Miss Jessie Adnams……..

The coffin of polished oak, which was carried from the chapel to the family vault on the shoulders of old employees, bore the inscription-

JAMES ADNAMS

Died Nov. 2, 1904

Aged 81.

Newbury Weekly News 10 November 1904

Mrs. P p.14 -W51

Died 2 November 1904 aged 81

Also James Havell “eldest son of James and Maria ADNAMS died 9 September 1864 aged 12

and Maria wife of James, died 16 June 1888 aged 63

Name of other son, who also predeceased him?

In his Newbury Breweries talk, Phil Wood tells how James had two cousins, GEORGE and ERNEST who purchased The Sole Bay Brewery in Southwold (Suffolk) in 1872. Ernest settled down and ran the business (mainly around East Anglia), whilst George decided to travel but was eaten by a crocodile in Africa. Is there a moral there?