Vital Statistics
John Ball Pinsent: 1819 – 1901 GRO0518 (Brewer, Highweek, Newton Abbot, Devon)
Hannah Davie Swain: 1815 – 1887
Married: 1841: Bridport, Dorset
Children by Hannah Davie Swain:
Thomas Pinsent: 1842 – 1889 (Spirit Merchant in Newton Abbot; Married Emma Anthony, 1875)
William Swain Pinsent: 1843 – 1920 (Spirit Merchant and Brewer; Married Harriet Eliza Cookson, 1868)
John Ball Pinsent: 1844 – 1890 (Wine and Tea Merchant; Married Jane Coles in 1877 and Jane Maye in 1880)
Frederick Richard Steele Pinsent: 1855 – 1856
Family Branch: Devonport
PinsentID: GRO0518
References
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John Ball Pinsent was the the second surviving son of Thomas Pinsent and Mary (née Savery). He was born at #4 Stoke Terrace in Stoke Damerel (Devonport), and was brought up there and in Kingsteignton, where the family owned a farm. He was the elder of two sons who married and had children. His father Thomas Pinsent was a successful “draper” who also had other interests. He partnered with a Mr. Edward Palk and took an interest in the “Old Brewery” in Mill Street in Newton Bushel (Newton Abbot) in the 1830s. Thomas’s father (another Thomas) had held an interest in the Brewery in 1781, and that may have been what sparked his interest.
Thomas had probably bought in with a view to passing the business along to his son, John Ball Pinsent and he set his son to work in the brewery and learn the trade. The London Gazette shows that Thomas transferred his interest to his son a few months before he, John Ball, married Hannah—the third daughter of William Swain, Esquire, a “merchant” in Bridport, Dorset in 1841 (The Patriot: Monday 24th May 1841).
Mr. Palk retired in 1844 (Morning Herald (London): Wednesday 29th May 1844), leaving John Ball, who was still a young man, to run the brewery. It would have taken more than a few textbooks to learn the business; however he had the benefit of “The Theory and Practice of Brewing by William Little Tizzard” to fall back on. John wrote a testimonial for its second edition, that came out in 1846. “Newton Bushell, Devon (Mill Lane Brewery) “We do most approve of your Treatise on Brewing, and have met with other brewers who have been very much pleased with the work. Wishing you success in your second edition, we have to beg pardon for our delay”: “Palk & Pinsent.” John presumably learnt the business under his father’s watchful eye.
The transfer from “Palk” to “Pinsent” may have caused some concern locally as, shortly thereafter, the brewery was forced to issue the following statement: “Messrs. Pinsent and Co. deny that the late extensive seizure of deleterious drugs, and other prohibited articles, which was made about a week since in a Brewery at Newton Abbot were found and taken from the Mill Lane Brewery, Newton Bushel;” contrary to “It having been industriously reported by some designing persons” (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Saturday 12th October 1844). What that was about, I have no idea. Still, public relations mattered even then. In the event, the brewery proved to be a profitable business. According to “A History of Newton Abbot” (quoted by Hilary Preston: personal communication) it had a competitive advantage over other brewers as it used soft (carbonate and contaminant free) water from a spring feeding into the Mill Leat (an aqueduct or trench) at Bradley Manor.
John Ball Pinsent was, like his father and grandfather a before him, a “dissenter,” so it is not surprising that he married Hannah in an “Independent Meeting House” in Bridport Harbour, in Dorset. However, he seems to have been less religious than either of them (or his elder brother Savery Pinsent for that matter); nevertheless, he signed his name to a list of horrified “dissenters” who attended a “Great Protestant Meeting” held in Newton Abbot on January 26th 1852, that called for a petition to Parliament in protest against “concessions to Romanism” (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Saturday 31st January 1852).
John Ball and Hannah had four sons, Thomas Pinsent, William Swain Pinsent, John Ball Pinsent and Frederick Steele Pinsent. Of these, Frederick Steele, the youngest died an infant. The other three survived childhood. They stayed on in Newton Abbot, married and were gradually brought into the management of the family firm: “John Pinsent & Co. brewers & wine & spirit & coal merchants, Mill Lane Brewery and Market Place, Newton Abbot” (Kelly’s Directory: 1856). By the 1870s, it was also known as “Messrs. Pinsent and Sons.” The sons’ activities are discussed elsewhere. However, it is worth noting that the elder two, Thomas and John Ball “junior” died before their father and it was left to William Swain to help his out father in his old age, and to take over the brewery when he died. John Ball “junior’s” activities are hard to differentiate from his father as they share a common name. He most likely took over the running of the liquor store in Newton Abbot.
John Ball “senior” spent his life working on all aspects of the brewery business, from dealing with contractors and staff to buying ingredients, ensuring quality control, arranging transportation of barley, hops and beer and negotiating sales either to independent or “tied” houses. However, we see him at his best in Court, squabbling over costs or recovering money from recalcitrant purchasers, dealing with issues of theft or, increasingly over time, fighting to maintain licenses for his public houses. Licensing became more difficult as “Temperance Societies” grew in power and influence and the Government decided it had better ratchet up its control of outlets. It is hardly surprising that John Ball Pinsent paid less attention to community matters than his father, Thomas Pinsent, or for that matter, his son, William Swain Pinsent. He did not have the time.
The “Old Brewery” business on Mill Lane that Thomas Pinsent had bought into and later expanded was located along the bank of the Lemon River (a tributary of the Teign River) in the parish of Highweek. It is worth noting that Newton Abbot consisted of two separate communities in those days: Newton Abbot (per se) was in Wolborough parish. It was contiguous with Newton Bushel, which was in the neighbouring parish of Highweek. The two communities merged into one, also called Newton Abbot, in the early 1900s. Technically, John Ball Pinsent and his family lived on Highweek Street in Newton Bushel. The brewery was not large. he ran it with a permanent staff of twenty in 1851 and twenty-one in 1881 (Census records). I imagine there were a considerable number of ancillary day-labourers working there as well.
The early 1800s was the age of steam in England and the arrival of the “South Devon Railway” in Newton Abbot in 1846 must have been very helpful for the brewery. From then on, John Ball could source his barley and hops from anywhere in the country. He could also move his product around by rail—although, in truth, most if it seems to have been consumed locally. Delivery must have been a big issue. “Pinsent and Co.,” like brewers throughout the country relied on “wagons” pulled by large carthorses and “drays” pulled by even larger draught-horses to make their deliveries. The brewery must have had a large stabling capacity. Fifty-four gallon “hogsheads” of beer would have been extremely difficult to transport along Devon’s notoriously narrow and high-sided roads. How the original firm of “Palk and Pinsent” managed to supply “The Palk Arms” in Hennock I cannot imagine! It is near the top of a hill and a challenge to get there even today.
Parked wagons were a problem in towns and cities just as parked cars and trucks are today and downtown parking was discouraged, even in John Ball’s day. Two of the Company’s workers were charged with leaving their wagons unattended for longer than absolutely necessary to load and unload while making deliveries in Torquay in 1858 (Western Times: Saturday 25th September 1858). They got off … after all, who is to say how long is too long? Although I am sure that most of the firm’s fleet of horses were well behaved, the Exeter Flying Post (Thursday June 17th 1858:) tells us that a worker in the stables had an arm badly bitten while cleaning a disgruntled horse. Even they had their limits. At a later date, a Mr. Hunt, who delivered coal for the company, died of blood poisoning before he could be taken to Newton Cottage Hospital to have his arm amputated (Western Times: Wednesday 7th December 1892): Presumably he was injured on the job. The item is not clear on that point.
Needless to say, accidents occurred in the handling of barrels in and around the brewery, and on the road. For example, a barrel rolled over a worker at the brewery in September 1864 and severely bruised his legs (Western Times: Friday 23rd Sept. 1864). In another incident, a worker unloading sacks in the rail-yard slipped and fell under the wheels of a wagon loaded with 50 sacks of barley weighing in aggregate two tons (Exeter & Plymouth Gazette; Friday 11th December 1868). Needless to say, he was badly injured. Mr. Wonnacott, who was an “assistant brewer” fell over some stairs and broke his leg at the brewery in 1877 (Western Times: Wednesday 30th March 1877).
Physical injury was one thing; the ongoing threat of fire was another. It could be devastating. There was a fire at Messrs. Pinsents’ malt house on Bearne’s Lane, in Highweek, in 1875; however, it was put out with buckets of water before the fire engine arrived. Only a few sacks and some flooring were damaged (Western Times: Friday 24th December 1875). The firm also got lucky when some hay in a loft at the “Ship Inn” in Alphington, in St. Thomas (near Exeter), caught fire. It was also extinguished fairly quickly and it did relatively little damage—other than to the hay, of course (Western Times: Thursday 17th July 1890).
It was no accident, but a deliveryman named George Skinner hanged himself at the brewery in 1876. It must have traumatized his young son who had the misfortune to find him. Mr. Skinner was known to be an alcoholic and the Coroner pointedly condemned the policy of brewers who allowed their men to drink an unlimited amount of beer at work, and he also regretted the willingness of landlords to give delivery men a free drink after making their deliveries (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 19th May 1876).
Sadly, in another accident a man named Walter Hunt died of injuries he received when he was thrown from one of the firm’s wagons while making a delivery. His horse bolted going down a steep hill near Bishopsteignton (Western Times: Saturday 18th July 1857). In a similar vein, the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette (Friday 11th January 1867) describes how a gentleman’s coachman narrowly escaped being run over near Kingskerswell. Apparently, he met two of Mr. Pinsent’s wagons and, although the first passed him successfully, the second locked its wheels with his coach and he fell with his head between the wheels when it jolted to a halt. Fortunately, he was only cut and bruised. A horse pulling a wagon loaded with bags of chaff belonging to “Messrs. Pinsent and Sons, Brewers”, also threw its driver and bolted into a flock of sheep in Kingsteignton, injuring several of them (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 7th October 1870).
One has to sympathize with one horse, drawing a wagon, that took fright at seeing a couple of elephants belonging to Mrs. Edmond’s “Menagerie” as it entered Keingsteignton (Western Times: Friday 26th July 1872). No one had told it what to expect! In some cases one has to question the condition of the roads. Mr. Carpenter, the proprietor of the “Globe Hotel” in Chudleigh, was thrown from his trap in front of Mr. Pinsent’s brewery after his horse slipped (on ice?) and gave a lurch. He was unconscious for a while and then taken home (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Saturday 2nd February 1895). The “Globe Hotel” was a tied-house that belonged to the brewery. It had been substantially rebuilt a few years previously and now boasted an assembly room that could seat 150 people, and it had a drill hall suitable for the local “corps of volunteers” (East and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 19th May 1890).
The worst accident of all however, happened in 1879. John Ball Pinsent’s wife Hannah Davie and his daughter-in-law, John Ball “junior’s” wife Jane (née Coles), were driving through Devon Square in Newton Abbot in their pony and trap when “the animal was frightened by some boys riding a grocery truck, and bolted. Crossing Queen Street, the carriage came in contact with the curb and corner of the house belonging to Mr. King, against which the ladies were thrown with considerable force and sustained serious injuries. They were immediately removed to their respective residences, and promptly attended to by Drs. Gage and Scott. Young Mrs. Pinsent has been unconscious ever since, owing to concussion of the brain, and her condition gives her friends great anxiety. Mrs. Pinsent, senior, had a collar-bone broken and was insensible for some time, but has since shown some signs of amendment” (Exeter Flying Post: Wednesday 30th April 1879). Jane died on the 3rd May 1879 leaving John Ball “junior” with an infant daughter. He remarried the following year.
On a lighter side, the firm’s wagons were periodically put to better use than carting beer: Mr. Pinsent lent a wagon to take the “Salem Chapel Band of Hope” for a “Sunday School” annual picnic (Western Times: Tuesday 20th July 1869). The firm also provided transport for the “Baptist Sunday-School Anniversary Treat” in 1890 (East and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 14th June 1890). Presumably they also did so in other years.
The stables attracted miscreants and over the years there were several examples of theft, both from the stables and from the main brewery. For instance, P.C. Squires noticed Eliezer Phillips leaving Mr. Pinsent’s premises with a bag that was later found to contain seven pints of oats. He was charged at the local “Petty Sessions” (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 3rd September 1869). Similarly, William Pickett “senior” and his son, William Pickett “junior” were charged at “Devon Intermediate Sessions” with stealing and receiving 30 lbs of malted barley. Presumably it was for use in home-brewing. Mr. Pickett was a casual worker at the brewery. He said he had been filling in for a sick friend and that he had given him the key to the malt house. He admitted to giving a bag of barley to his son who was seen leaving the premises. Mr. Pickett was sentenced to six months of hard labour, and his son four months (Exeter Flying Post: Wednesday 17th February 1875). Punishment was punishment in those days.
The banking system in the 1800s was far less sophisticated than it is today (or than it was in the 20th Century, for that matter). There were banks and large transaction could be made using cheques or “drawn notes”; however, many of the brewery’s transactions were for small sums and they used cash—bank notes, gold sovereigns and silver coins. Theft was an ongoing issue here as well, and the brewery’s trust in its employees was occasionally misplaced. For instance; William Ridgway, who had been employed to collect money and receive orders around Torquay for over two years was charged with embezzling £12 13s on one occasion and £3 on another – when his accounts were finally tallied. This seems to have been done infrequently. He was sentenced to four months imprisonment (Western Times: Saturday 24th March 1849).
That, however, was nothing compared to the audacity of Mr. King, the man who literally got away. He absconded to the “diggings” (in Australia) with either £90, £35 or £30 (depending on which newspaper you believe) in gold and silver coins that he had been instructed to pay to one of the company’s creditors (Exeter Flying Post: Thursday October 21st 1852). He just took off! Still, although some mistakes were clearly made wittingly, others may have been accidental. Book-keeping was far from perfect and the brewery did not win all its court cases. For instance, it hired a Mr. Bury on salary and commission and he sued the brewery for withholding between £200 and £300 that he felt he was owed. The matter eventually went to arbitration and was settled out of court (Western Times: Saturday 28th 1855)—much to the annoyance of the local populace who were dying to know what he received.
From here on in, Court Cases loom large in John Ball’s life. Some cases were settled more easily than others. In 1864, he arranged to purchase six ricks of hay from a Mr. White of Chudleigh. Unfortunately, the two of them nearly came to blows over the purchase price that they had (verbally) agreed to. Mr. Pinsent said it was £5 10s per ton and Mr. White said £6. It was a case of he-said, he-said and in this particular case, the magistrates established the going rate was £6 and gave for Mr. White (Exeter & Plymouth Gazette: Friday 2nd December 1864). John Ball had horses to stable and feed. Some years he may have been short on hay; however, other years he seems to have had more than enough. He put a rick of about 40 tons up for sale in January, 1876 (Western Times: Tuesday 11th January 1876), and two ricks of about 60 tons “prime hay” in May the following year (Western Times: Friday 18th May 1877).
Brewers are picky when it comes to barley—for them, grain-size does matter—and the quality of a batch affects its price. In January 1859, John Ball lost a case in the “County Court”. He had agreed, through one of his employees, to purchase 90 bags of barley from a farmer from Staverton called Skinner. However, when the consignment arrived he rejected it. He offered to pay Mr. Skinner a reduced price but he had held out for the agreed amount and their Lordships agreed with him. Mr. John Ball Pinsent was instructed to honour his contract (Exeter Flying Post: Thursday 27th January 1859).
On another occasion, John Ball attempted to recover £64 for 76 sacks of barley that he had bought from a farmer called Mugford in November 1874. On arrival, he found the barley unsuitable and he arranged with Mr. Mugford to resell it. Mr. Mugford claimed he sold the barley to a miller called Stockman but, five years on, the latter denied it. Once again, the paper trail was woefully inadequate. Stockman blamed Mugford for the poor paperwork but witnesses proved that Stockman had indeed received the barley and the jury gave for “Pinsent and Sons” (Exeter Flying Post: Wednesday 30th July 1879).
In another case, the “Great Western Railway Company” sued Mr. W. A. Hawke, a “merchant” in Dartmouth, to recover £14 for carriage of his goods. Mr. Hawke counter-claimed. He stated a shipment of barley he had sent to Mr. Pinsent in 1880 had arrived wet and been rejected. He claimed that his 40 sacks of barley meal had been damaged in transit and it had cost him £3 per sack. (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 2nd March 1883.) He felt that the Railway Company was culpable and he did not think he owed them anything. However, his Honour demurred, saying that unless he could show intent on the part of the Company, it was not “wilfull damage” and he had no case against them.
Nobody had the audacity to question John Ball’s ability to assess the quality of grain. In fact, for several years in the mid-1860s and early 1870s, Mr. Pinsent of Newton and Mr. West of the “Tamar Brewery” were invited to judge the “Malting Barley” competition held at the “South Devon Agricultural Society’s” annual show (Western Times: Friday 2nd November 1866; see also Western Times: Tuesday 31st October, 1865 and Western Times: Thursday 5th October 1871).
In 1876, the “West of England Sack Company” sued “Pinsent & Sons” of Newton Abbot in the County Court for un-returned sacks to the value of £120 17s 6d. The dispute was founded on sloppy bookkeeping on all sides and a propensity for third parties to charge their sacks to the brewer’s account—in order to keep them off their own books. The Judge gave for the defendant (East & South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 9th December 1876). The following year, the same company sued a Mr. Hobson for the return of 50 sacks. He claimed miss-management on their part and said he forwarded the sacks to “Pinsent and Co.” in Newton. Mr. Pinsent’s foreman, Mr. Avery, testified that he received them and that he had, in due time, delivered them to the sack company’s depot. In this case, it seems as if “Pinsent and Co.” had erroneously received the credit for the sacks (Exeter Flying Post: Wednesday 11th April 1877). According to the Census records, John Ball Pinsent employed 21 men, in 1881. The brewery was profitable but even it had its problems.
Bankruptcies were painful for everyone and creditors were careful to ensure that a bankrupt’s assets were not spirited away, or otherwise disposed of, before an inventory could be taken and their value assessed. In 1851, John Ball Pinsent sold 50 bushels of malt worth £15 to Robert Duke, an “Inn Keeper” in Chudleigh, and he seems to have tried to recover the malt on the day that Mr. Duke’s goods were put into assignment. The other creditors were incensed as they thought the malt qualified as an asset and they all should get a share of the value (Western Times: Saturday 27th Dec. 1851). When Albert Lethbridge, an “Inn Keeper” from Totnes entered bankruptcy in 1862, Mr. Pinsent, of Newton Abbot was left with a bill of sale for goods valued at £200 (Torquay Chronicle and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 5th April 1862).
Similarly, when a William Godfrey of St. Thomas (Exeter), died owing £790 in 1978, it appeared to his Executors and Trustees that he had sold his house to “Messrs. Pinsent and Co.” shortly before declaring bankruptcy. They sued “Pinsent and Co.” for the value of the assets on behalf of Mr. Godfrey’s other creditors. The Company claimed that it had actually purchased Mr. Godfrey’s house long before he died and that they had only allowed the debtor to stay on in his home until they could find another tenant (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 13th December 1878): if you say so.
Mr. Pinsent frequently found himself in the County Court trying to recover small payments for beer, spirits and/or coal supplied to customers who were either reluctant or unable to pay. Hardly a year went by without him having to press for payment from someone. Most shop and inn keepers accepted their fate and either paid up or went to jail: For instance, an inn keeper called Addams from Kingsteignton was committed for 30 days for non-compliance with an order to pay £3 14s for debt (Western Times: Saturday 1st Feb 1851). Similarly, an inn-keeper called How said he could have paid his bill and that “Pinsent has been foolish to put him into Court”; however, as he refused to attend the Court and present his case, he was convicted in absentia for not paying for goods valued at £17 10s (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Saturday 31st March 1855). “Pinsent and Co.” also sued a former public house keeper in Totnes for £3 5s (Exeter & Plymouth Gazette: Saturday 7th June 1856). We hear no more about it, so presumably he paid up.
Individuals seem to have been more imaginative in their defense: When a widow called Passmore was sued for her late husband’s debt of £16 for wine and spirit, she claimed all her husband’s assets came to her through a marriage settlement and, by the wording of the settlement, she was not liable for his debts (Western Times: Saturday 7th December. 1850). Nice try: I doubt that she got away with it. Even nominal family members refused to pay up! When John Ball Pinsent tried to recover from John Pinsent of Bovey Tracey, the latter’s wife appeared and said she had bought the beer for her master, a Mr. Steer, who was now dead … (so presumably the Company should sue the estate). His Lordship must have felt that he was in no position to say otherwise (Western Times: Saturday 23rd September 1854). No prizes for guessing who drank the beer.
Beer consumption in Britain peaked in 1875 but stayed at a relatively high level until the outbreak of the First World War (Highs and Lows of Drinking in Britain: James Nichols, 2014 see historyandpolicy.org). It dropped rapidly thereafter; in part because many of the boys failed to return and in part because of a growing temperance movement. “Pinsent and Co.” operated in a very competitive business environment that was growing increasingly difficult to handle as legislation tightened licensing requirements and Temperance Societies applied social pressure.
Interestingly, John Ball put the “Old Brewery” (site of the superintendents’ house plus brew-house and cellars and also malt-house etc. along the River Lemon and also the house and shop fronting Wolborough Street) up for sale by auction at the “Globe Hotel” in Newton Abbot, in 1861 (Exeter Flying Post: Wednesday 25th December 1861). By then, the main buildings had long since been relocated. The firm’s office address was now #21 Highweek Street, Highweek, Newton Abbot (East and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 1884). Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Pinsent lived nearby, at #7 Highweek Street. The “Returns of Owners of Land: 1873” shows that John Ball Pinsent owned land in Highweek Parish (presumably associated with the brewery) with a gross estimated rental of £161 0s 0d.
Like other breweries, “Pinsent and Co.” bought or leased and serviced “tied” public houses throughout their local area and they also supplied beer (and possibly also wine and spirits) to independent taverns and inns. The number of establishments the firm owned and/or leased must have varied over the years as the company bought and sold outlets and acquired and surrendered leases. An inventory of John Ball’s holdings in 1872 shows that he then had seven establishments and an off-license (“Victory Inn”, in West Teignmouth; “Turks Head”, in Newton Abbot; “Bell Inn”, in Bovey Tracey; “King of Prussia”, in Bovey Tracey; “Church House”, in Denbury; “New Inn”, in Newton Bushell; “Clifford Arms”; in Shaldon and a wine and spirit store in Newton Abbot: (Register of Licenses: Teignbridge: 1872)). A Parliamentary Census of “On-Licenses” for Devonshire conducted almost twenty years later, in 1891, shows that the company then either owned or leased 13 hostelries in Teignbridge Hundred (Newton Abbot and surrounding area) and 3 in the neighbouring Hundred of Wonford (Exeter and surrounding area) (Western Times: Friday 20th March 1891).
Each establishment had to have a “license” held by a qualified person at all times, and John Ball Pinsent regularly appeared before the magistrates on “Licensing Day” at the local “Petty Session”—either arranging approvals for a new pub or transferring an existing license (to-or-from) a landlord: the Pinsents would have been well known to all the local police, magistrates, lawyers, court officials and others, as they went about the business of managing their fleet of hostelries. It was an uneasy relationship!
The Newspapers contain numerous references to “Pinsent and Co.” and, later, “Pinsent and Sons”, requesting the transfer of licenses. For instance, the license of the “Church House Inn”, in Denbury was transferred from Mr. Willcocks to Mr. Wm. Taylor in 1871 (Western Times: 2nd March 1871). Mr. Taylor died a few years later and Mr. Pinsent applied for a temporary transfer to Mrs. Taylor, his widow (Western Times: Friday 29th January 1875). Similarly, in 1869, John Ball asked the magistrates to transfer the license for the “Plymouth Inn” in Newton Abbot from the firm itself to a William Saunders “who had managed it for two years” (Western Times: Friday 1st October 1869).
The “Kings Arms” in Chagford was put to let by “Messrs. Pinsent and Sons”, in December 1879 (Western Times Monday 22nd December 1879) and the “Clifford Arms” in Shaldon was transferred from Mr. Pinsent, the owner, to Edward Henly French in 1889 (Western Times: Thursday 10th January 1889). For some reason, a Mr. James Rowe, who had been the landlord of the “Town Arms” at Churston Ferrers, applied to have his license temporarily transferred back to the owner, Mr. J. B. Pinsent, in 1880. It is not clear why (Western Times: Thursday 4th November 1880). The transfer went through easily enough; however, John Ball was caught out by a technicality and fined £1 in December of that year because he forgot to change the name of the licensee on the sign above the door of the pub (Western Times: Thursday 30th December 1880)!
Not all of the Company’s applications went so well: when the Newton Abbot magistrates were asked for a transfer of the license of the “Turk’s Head” in Newton Abbot to a Mr. Avery, the “magistrate’s clerk” (Mr. Flamank) objected on his own behalf as Mr. Avery had previously held a license for the “Rising Sun” (also owned by Mr. Pinsent) and had kept a “disreputable house”. Inspector Barker acknowledged that he had seen prostitutes there when he visited … (Western Times: Saturday 31st Jan 1852). Try as they might, it was hard for the company to ensure that all its licensees stuck to the letter of the law.
Many years later, a Mr. Hole, who was the landlord of the “Turk’s Head” in Newton Abbot, was fined at “Moretonhampstead Petty Sessions” for selling cider to two “Inland Revenue Officers” without having the appropriate license. They had been served the drink in a “Taproom” (sub-let adjunct to the main bar) that Mr. Hole also ran at the “White Hart Inn” in Moretonhampstead. The question was, whose license was operating under? Was he sub-contracted by the licensee of the “White Hart Inn”, or by “Pinsent and Co.,” who supplied the establishment with beer? There was no written contract and there was nothing to show that he was actually working for the licensee of the Inn at the time. He was fined £10 in each case (East and South Devon Advertiser: 9th January 1875). The “White Hart Inn” was a typical coaching inn in Moretonhampstead. It is still in business today.
The Company owned and/or leased several public houses in Newton Abbot, including two on one street. We find Mr. Pinsent applying for a license for Mr. John Henry Best to run the “Sun Inn” on East Street in 1885 (Western Times: Wednesday 15th April 1885) and we also find him applying to transfer the license of the “Jolly Sailor Inn” in East Street to Aaron Beavis in 1878. On the latter occasion he was refused. However, the Newton Abbot magistrates were willing to grant Mr. Pinsent a temporary license for the “Sun Inn” until he could find another tenant (Western Times: Friday 25th October 1878). Ten years later, we find the license of the same premises was temporarily transferred from Eliza Fragile to John Ball’s son, Thomas Pinsent (Western Times: Friday 5th November 1886). Who received it next is unclear.
In 1890, “Messrs. Pinsent and Sons” informed the magistrates, through their lawyer, that Mr. Pinsent (presumably John Ball Pinsent) was aware of the complaints that had been made regarding the “Jolly Sailor Inn.” He had given the occupier notice and he had agreed to comply with any recommendations the Court might make. Evidently, Mr. Pinsent had lined up a tenant of good character and experience and he was expected to take over shortly; however, Mr. Pinsent would appreciate having the license in his own name until the new landlord arrived. The magistrates agreed to visit the property and decide (Western Times: Wednesday 27th August 1890). The visit must have gone well as the police withdrew their objection—whatever it was—and, after vetting the proposed tenant, the license was transferred to James Sanders of Dartmouth (East and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 4th October 1890).
What had gone on at the “Jolly Sailor Inn” is left to the reader’s imagination; however, when John Drew, the landlord of “Star Inn”, in Torquay, was charged with running a disorderly house it was explained in court that he had permitted: “his licensed premises to be the habitual resort of women of ill fame, and allowing them therein to remain longer than was necessary for obtaining reasonable refreshment”. The magistrates fined him £2 and endorsed his license. Mr. Pinsent, who owned the premises, gave notice that he would arrange for Mr. Drew’s removal at once—as he was disqualified from holding a license for five years. To complicate matters, the “Star Inn” had its license revoked for two years as well (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 23rd October 1885).
That same year, Mr. J. Pinsent was called as a witness when one of his land-lords, Mr. Hole at the “Turk’s Head” in Newton Abbot (who was “known to the police”) was accused of selling liquor during prohibited hours. A policeman had, apparently, seen some men near the back door of the pub. One of them claimed that he rented an orchard and vegetable patch behind the pub that Mr. Pinsent also owned, and he and his friends had passed by the back door of the “Turk’s Head” and stopped to talk to Mr. Hole on the way out. The magistrates found no convincing evidence of criminal activity and the case was dismissed (East and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 5th September 1885).
In 1864, “Pinsent and Co.” asked for the license for the “Victory Inn” in Teignmouth to be transferred from John Ball Pinsent to a Mrs. Shooter (Western Times: 5th August 1864). The pub was later demolished to make way for a tunnel needed by the Great Western Railway and “Messrs. Pinsent and Co.” built a bigger and better establishment nearby, quite reasonably expecting to get it licensed. However, when they applied at the appropriate Petty Session, they found that the “Church of England Temperance Society” objected on the grounds that there were already 30 licensed houses in Teignmouth serving a population of 7,000. Presumably much to John Ball’s chagrin, the license was refused (Western Times: Friday 30th September 1881). On another occasion, it was the “Baptists” who were accused of inteferring in the sale of liquor in Teignmouth. The landlord of the “Royal Oak” public house sued the owners of the recently built Baptist Chapel for blocking his light. Mr. Acland, a “traveler” for the Newton Abbot brewers, “Pinsent and Sons”, testified that he had been able to settle his bill in the bar under natural light, but that was no longer possible (Teignmouth Post and Gazette: Friday 26th July 1889).
The local newspapers also show that “Messrs. Pinsent and Co.” applied to the magistrates to let the “Golden Lion Inn” on Union Street in Torquay in 1850 (Western Times: Saturday 22 June 1850). The Company must have held the property leasehold for quite some time and been pleased with it, as Mr. Pinsent bid £1,000 for it’s purchase when it came up for auction in 1876. The owner had, unfortunately, placed a reserve price of £1,500 on it, and it did not sell (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette Daily Telegrams: Wednesday 20th September 1876). Presumably Mr. Pinsent’s existing lease remained in place.
Other properties were sold out from under them: The firm may have lost the “The Half Way House” (adjoining the turnpike road between Moretonhampstead and Chagford) in 1868. On this occasion, the building was put up for sale before their tenancy expired (Western Times: Friday 8th May 1868). Perhaps they put in a bid. The “Sandy Park Public House” and other related properties in Drewsteignton, near Chagford “in the occupation of Messrs. Pinsent and Son and/or their tenants” were put up for sale by auction in 1897 (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Tuesday 14th September 1897) and the “Town Arms” and other property in Higher Brixham also “under the occupation of Messrs. Pinsent and Son and their sub-tenants” were up for sale by auction a couple of years later (Western Times: Thursday 24th August 1899).
Accidents happen; the thatched roof of a cottage adjacent to the “Ship Inn” at South Knighton – approximately three miles from Newton – caught fire and did considerable damage to three buildings before the Fire Brigade was able to reach the scene. A young woman who tried to retrieve a box from one of the cottages was bady burnt and two others received lesser injuries. Fortunately for the pub’s land-lord, he had his furniture covered by the “Atlas Insurance Company” (Totnes Weekly Times: 13th March 1897).
Mr. Pinsent (presumably John Ball) bought the “Punch Bowl Inn”, in Moretonhampstead, at auction, for £330 (Exeter Flying Post: Wednesday 6th October 1880). Interestingly, this property was known as the “New Inn” when his great grandfather, Mr. John Pinsent bought it as a private residence for Mr. John Coles (“a soap boyler”) in 1858. It reverted to being an Inn, known as the “Punch Bowl Inn”, in 1798 (Moretonhampstead Historical Society). Mrs. Bruce ran it for Mr. John Pinsent until April 1800. Mr. John Steer, a “farmer”, took it over when she quit (Silvester Treleavens’ Diary). This early acquisition was probably the start of the Pinsent family’s involvement in the brewery business. It seems that not all “dissenters” objected to the sale of intoxicating liquors!
John Ball Pinsent’s relations with his “tied-house” landlords did not always go well. In October 1876, he sued a Mr. Stranger who had lately occupied the “Temple Bar” beer-house on Queen Street, in Newton Abbot, claiming that he had bought fixtures for the house for £100 and that Mr. Stranger was obliged to pay him back £60, in installments of £4 per month. The rest was considered “good will”. The landlord said that he paid £36 and the brewery did not ask for more until he was leaving. He denied any further liability and said he had passed the beer-house to his brother who sold the fixtures for £50. His Honour was not impressed with Mr. Pinsent’s level of book keeping, but doubted that he would commit perjury for £30 or £40 (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 20th October 1876)!
“Pinsent and Sons” may have had the ‘Temple Bar” sold out from under them in 1880, when the beer-house, which contained “a bar, bar parlour, wash house, four bedrooms and necessary offices” was included in a bundle of leasehold houses and shops put up for auction by Messrs. Rendell and Symons. (Western Times: Friday 23rd July 1880). However, they still had their lease and the license for the property in 1893, when the “Temple Bar” and an adjoining house and shop in Queen Street “held by Messrs. Pinsent at a yearly rent of £60 and sublet to Mrs. Terrell and Mr. T. B. Combe respectively” were again put up for auction (Western Times: Friday 20th October 1893). There were no bidders for the property (East and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 21st October 1893).
John Ball Pinsent “senior” had plans made up for a new public house called the “Mirror” on Queen Street in Newton Abbot. He applied for a spirit license in 1869 but Mr. Magor, the owner or manager (?) of the nearby “Commercial Hotel” objected as Mr. Pinsent already controlled the “Plymouth Inn” on Queen Street. The magistrates turned him down (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 3rd September 1869). They were; however, prepared to accept the premises as an off-license. John Ball did not act on this; instead, he reapplied the following year. This time the “Newton Total Abstinence Society” objected, saying that there were already eleven licensed houses between the Commercial Hotel and the Railway station and enough was, surely, enough! Again, the magistrates refused the application (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 2nd September 1870).
The following year, the company reapplied but again failed for lack of “pressing need” – and also because the magistrates seemed uncertain about the ramifications of certain changes in the legislation. John Ball read the signs and tactfully withdrew his application (Western Times: Friday 1st September 1871). By 1873, he seems to have lowered his expectations. He only applied for a limited off-license for the Queen Street establishment; however, this too was rejected—albeit on a technicality! He had not advertised his application in the court paper for fourteen clear days before the hearing (Western Times: Friday 29th March 1873). John Ball Pinsent reapplied later the same year. This time, he reminded the magistrates that he owned and operated several establishments in the town. He had a good record, and he promised he would to conduct his houses better than other people did. He pointed out that he had a similar license in Newton Bushel and he only wanted to sell liquor in small amounts. It was all to no avail. The “Good Templars” objected and the magistrates, yet again, turned him down (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 3rd October 1873).
The following year, his own license for consumption at the Newton Brewery was reduced “by consent of the owner” to six days a week and 10 o’clock closing in October the following year (East and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 3rd October 1874). There was growing concern about alcoholism in the 1870s, even before the coroner made his pointed remarks about the availability of beer at the brewery following the suicide of Mr. Skinner in 1876.
John Ball Pinsent did eventually establish a wine and liquor store Queen Street in Newton Abbot. It was an “Off Premise” that may have also sold tea and other grocery items. John Ball Pinsent, or more likely his son, John Ball Pinsent was the local agent in Newton Abbot for the sale of “Ind, Coope, and Co.’s Mild” and “Strong Burton” and “East India Pale Ales” (Western Times: Tuesday 22nd December 1885) and also of “Pilsner Lager” beer (East and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 24th December 1887). Presumably it came down from the Midlands by rail.
Local Directories show that John Ball Pinsents (likely “the younger”) also signed on as an agent for the “Commercial Insurance Company”. The wine and liquor store is mentioned in a description of the town as it was decked out for Christmas in 1885 (Western Times: Thursday 24th December 1885). The writer remarks on the well-stocked shops and stores in Newton Abbot and, after describing the “delicacies” on display at Mrs. Towell and Mrs. Hodges’ place on Courtenay street, he goes on to say “it was a kind of relief to take a glance at the bottle store of J. B. Pinsent and in imagination sip the “nectar” to be found in that well arranged establishment”. A bit over the top but it suggests a well-stocked storefront window.
Although Mr. Pinsent was usually in Court pleading his own case, he sometimes supported other people’s applications; for instance, in 1877, he supported Harriet Elizabeth Tippet’s application when she applied for a liquor license at “Totnes Petty Session”. The magistrates turned her down, so she appealed at the next sitting of the “Devon Quarter Sessions” claiming that the magistrates in Totnes had been unreasonable when they refused her the license of the “Bridge Inn” in Littlehempston after her had father died, as he had built the place. Mr. Pinsent’s evidence was discounted as being, most likely, self-serving and it probably was—despite her protestations to the contrary. Nevertheless, the bench agreed to make the transfer (Western Times: Thursday 5th July 1877). John Ball also supported a Mr. Boon’s application for an “occasional license” to sell liquor at a Newton Abbot flower show in 1874. However, the application went nowhere; the magistrates pointedly remarked that they had always rejected flower show requests before and this time was no different (Western Times: 2nd September 1874).
If running the brewery and the wine and spirit store were not enough, John Ball also built a coal yard by the River Lemon. He bought the business from a Mr. Templar in 1851 and retained William Cruse, one of Mr. Templar’s managers, to run it. The arrangement worked reasonably well until the two attempted to balance their books in 1853. John Ball found that a few of the 200 plus accounts had been paid to Mr. Cruse but not to him, and he charged Cruse with embezzlement. The latter’s lawyer suggested that, although mistakes may have been made, there had been no intent to defraud and the jury determined that he was not guilty (Exeter Flying Post: Thursday March 24th 1853).
The firm brought coal in by sea from Newcastle and London and barged it up the Lemon to a site on the “Teign Marshes”. The site was convenient but prone to flooding. In November 1852, approximately 150 tons of coal was washed down the river (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Saturday 13th November 1852) and more was lost in January 1866 (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 19th January 1866). By contrast, the amount he lost to theft seems trivial. A labourer called Spires was charged with stealing a “bag of coal” from Mr. Pinsent in 1855 (Western Times: Saturday 4th August 1855) and John Bowden was convicted of stealing “24 lbs of coal” at Devon Intermediate Sessions in 1853. He was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Saturday 17th September, 1853).
The company may have supplied the railway with coal, but the number of small accounts suggest that most of it was for domestic use. For many years the firm held a contract from the Guardians to supply coal to the workhouse: In July, 1856, the Board of Guardians accepted John Ball’s tender for 50 tons of Newport (Wales) coal at 18s 3d/ton and 50 tons Newcastle coal at 19s 3d/ton (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Saturday 12th July 1856). The following week the Guardians specified that the coal be weighed at “The Marshes” while the Master of the Work House was present. One could not be too careful. Substitutions were not allowed. In August 1862 the Guardians complained that the coal it received was not from the “Red Ash Coal Company” as then specified in their contract and, although Mr. Pinsent showed them a certificate saying it was the same quality, they insisted on the real stuff (Western Times: Saturday 30th August 1862). Prices rose over time. In 1865, John Ball supplied the Guardians with 90 tons of Newport coal at 20s 3d per ton and 6 tons of red ash coal at 23s 3d per ton (Western Times: Friday 21 July 1865).
In 1880, The Company contracted four bargemen to convey two barges containing 30 tons of coal each from the “Fanny” at Teignmouth up the river to its coal yard at “Teign Marshes”. The bargemen left the barges unattended at Combe Cellars overnight, intending to return the following morning to continue upstream on the tide. Witnesses later said they saw twelve tons of coal, six from each barge, secretly off-loaded onto a lighter owned by a John Frost and conveyed by a local coal dealer, Walter Morely, to a cellar owned by George Martin. There, they saw the coal being offloaded. Police established that the coal was of the same type and texture as that remaining in the main barges, and the men were charged. The case was one of considerable interest when it came up at the local assizes (Western Times: Wednesday 29th December 1880).
The River Teign was an important artery for commerce; however, it regularly silted up and it was both difficult and expensive to keep the “Teignmouth Bar” open for shipping. In 1850, John Ball Pinsent and his father Thomas Pinsent were elected members of a Commission formed to decide what to do about it. The Commission studied a report by Captain Washington and Captain Splatt but eventually concluded that, as long as the City of Exeter charged dues on products coming in through Teignmouth yet refused to contribute its fair share of the maintenance costs, it was not worth paying for dredging (Western Times: Saturday 26th October 1850). John Ball was reelected to the Commission in 1856 (Western Times: Saturday 20th September 1856) and also in 1877. The commission consisted of four ship owners and seven ratepayers (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Friday 21st September 1877).
Mr. J. B. Pinsent “senior” does not seem to have been overly political; however both he and and his son, Mr. J. B. Pinsent “junior”, attended a speech by Mr. W. J. Harris, M.P. (a Conservative) at a meeting of the Constitutional Club, in Newton, in 1885 (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette: Saturday 30th May 1885). He also had at least one of his sons on hand when he attended a meeting of the Devonshire Branch of the “County Brewers’ Society” to discuss an upcoming report on the proposed Local Government Bill in 1888. After much debate, it was agreed on this occasion that no decision would be made on the matter before the actual publication of the bill (Western Times: Saturday 24th March 1888). John Ball’s business acumen was, however, put to good use elsewhere. We find that Mr. John Ball Pinsent and Mr. Ruby of Berry Mills were appointed trustees of the effects of Richard Osborn of the “Royal Oak Inn”, Marldon, and they were tasked with settling his creditors’ claims (Western Times: Friday 19th May 1871). Similarly, he presided over a meeting of creditors of Nicholas Ball, of Starcross, an Innkeeper with debts amounting to £998 14s 6d. Predictably in this case, the creditors recommended bankruptcy (Exeter and Plymouth Gazette Daily Telegrams: Saturday 24th May 1880).
Mr. J. B. Pinsent lived at, #7 (now called #2) Highweek Street in Newton Abbot. Minerva House still stands. It is an elaborate Georgian townhouse that once had an impressive lead statue of the goddess Minerva in its portico. It was stolen in the mid-1980s. Minerva house is described in considerable detail in an unidentified newspaper article (possibly from the Mid-Devon Times) prepared by Ms. Edith Wheeler in the 1960s. By then, it had been subdivided and was being used by several local businesses. The building now belongs to the “Teignbridge District Council.” It is (or a few years ago was) a little the worse for wear (www.minerva-georgian-house.co.uk). According to “A Book of Newton Abbot” by Roger Jones, Minerva House had a beautiful garden with a lake that was fed by a small channel cut from the Mill Leat. According to the East and South Devon Advertiser (Saturday 26th September 1891) Mr. J. B. Pinsent’s garden was one of the best in town and he had recently found a monster apple, “being 15 inches in circumference and weighing 21 ounces” on his “Warren King” apple tree (probably Warner’s King, a cooking apple): So it probably had an orchard. Ms. Wheeler tells us that “Newton Abbot Urban District Council” converted the garden into a Cattle Market in the 1930s. Neither John Ball Pinsent, nor his son William Swain Pinsent – who inherited the property – would have approved.
John Ball and his wife and their family lived at Minerva House with two or three in-house servants (1851 – 1881 Census Records) for over forty years. John Ball’s wife, Hannah Davie (née Swain), died there of acute bronchitis in December 6th 1887. The Western Times (9th December 1887) reported the “Death of Mrs. Pinsent: After a short illness this estimable lady, wife of Mr. John Ball Pinsent, senr. partner in the firm of Pinsent and Sons, died on Tuesday last: deeply regretted.” John Ball was a widower when the census takers came calling in 1891. He died of old age on January 16th 1901.
Although John Ball Pinsent was from a “dissenting” family, he was less committed to that chapel that his brother Savery and his sons were all married by Anglican clergymen. This was despite the fact that non-conformists had had the legal right to marry in their own faith since 1836. He was also much less involved in community life than either his father was, or his son William Swain Pinsent would become. That is hardly surprising, given the range and extent of his business interests.
John Ball was, in fact, not always amenable to community interests. When a committee looking for a site to build a public wash house in Newton Abbot (in honour Her Majesty’s Jubilee in 1887) identified a site on the Kingsteignton Road, he told them they should look elsewhere (East and South Devon Advertiser: Saturday 2nd April 1887). Nevertheless, he was a respected member of the community and in old age was part of its collective memory. In 1895, he was called in as a witness in a high-profile case in the “Newton Abbot County Court” in which Mr. George Bond, of Buckland Barton Farm in Coombeinteignhead sued Mr. William Dobson of Newton Abbot for 1s for damages and for unlawfully removing a gate on what the plaintiff claimed was his private road. Several witnesses including Mr. J. B. Pinsent, “wine merchant” were called. He said “he knew the road from Penn Inn to Buckland Farm, and also to Hackney Lane. His knowledge extended over the past 55 years.” The witnesses all said that, as a far as they were concerned, it had always been a public road (Western Times: Tuesday 15th January 1895).
John Ball Pinsent’s workload at the brewery would have increased dramatically after his sons Thomas Pinsent (1889) and John Ball Pinsent “junior” (1890) died. Sadly, “Pinsent and Sons” had become “Pinsent and Son”. William Swain Pinsent must have taken over the running of the business as his father grew elderly and went blind. With age, came the loss of old friends. In 1880, Mr. J. B. Pinsent and his sons Mr. J. Pinsent and Mr. T. Pinsent attended the funeral of Mr. John Rendell, senior partner in a local firm of auctioneers J.P. (Western Times: Friday 12th March 1880). He, and they, attended many other funerals over the years. Eventually, it was his turn. The local papers tell us that John Ball Pinsent, “senior partner of the firm of Messrs. Pinsent and Son, brewers of Newton Abbot” who was an octogenarian and “had been in failing health for a long period and had latterly been confined to his bed” died on 16th January 1901 (Western Times: Friday 18th January 1901). They also tell us that: “(… were deposited in the family vault the remains of the late Mr. J. B. Pinsent, head of the firm of Pinsent and Sons, brewers, of Newton Abbot, and who was the oldest tradesman of the town. The esteem in which deceased was held was testified to by the very large number of people who joined in the funeral possession and were around the graveside. The chief mourners were his only surviving son (William Swain Pinsent) and four grandchildren” Western Times: Tuesday 22nd January 1901). They were supported by countless friends and, doubtless, customers.
The Calendar of Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration shows that John Ball Pinsent of Newton Bushell, Devonshire, “brewer and maltster and wine and spirit and coal merchant” died 16th January 16th, 1901 and probate was granted to Arthur Stephen Rendell, surveyor, and Francis Watts, solicitor, for effects worth L 2,044 1s 6d. Rendell and Symons held an auction of Mr. J. B. Pinsent’s high-quality household furniture and effects at Minerva House, Highweek Street, Newton Abbot, in April the same year. The firm published a list of the principal items in a catalogue, priced at 3d (Western Times: Friday 19th April 1901). The house passed to his son, William Swain Pinsent, who presumably by then had his own furnishings.
Family Tree
Grandparents
Grandfather: Thomas Pinsent: 1754 – 1841
Grandmother: Anne Ball: 1747 – 1794
Parents
Father: Thomas Pinsent: 1782 – 1872
Mother: Mary Savery: 1780 – 1859
Father’s Siblings and Stepsiblings (Aunts, Uncles)
Anna Thomasin Crout Pinsent: 1777 – 1799
Thomas Pinsent: 1779 – 1779
Thomas Pinsent: 1782 – 1872 ✔️
Elizabeth Pinsent: 1789 – xxxx
Maria Pinsent: 1797 – 1864
John Pinsent: 1799 – 1870
William Pinsent: 1808 – xxxx
Charles Pinsent: 1812 – 1863
George Pinsent: 1814 – 1894
Male Siblings (Brothers)
Thomas Pinsent: 1807 – 1826
Savery Pinsent: 1815 – 1886
John Ball Pinsent: 1819 – 1901 ✔️
Richard Steele Pinsent: 1820 – 1864
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