Place    From 1666 

Black Eagle Brewery

Categories: Food & Drink

The name was taken from the street on the north of the site, Black Eagle Street, now the east-west section of Dray Walk. A Truman took over the business in 1679 and the business expanded. 1789 it was taken over by Sampson Hanbury (1769-1835) uncle to Robert. Another of his nephews, Thomas Fowell Buxton, joined the company in 1808. By 1816 the company was named Truman, Hanbury, Buxton & Co, and on Hanbury's death in 1835 Buxton took it over. By 1853 the brewery was the largest in the world.

In 1873 the company expanded into Burton where the water was particularly suitable for brewing. The Brick Lane site continued in operation but production gradually moved to Burton. Take-over by the Grand Metropolitan Group in 1971 and merged with Watney Mann in 1972. In 1989 Brick Lane closed. Since then it has been redeveloped as the Old Truman Brewery, with offices, shops, restaurants, etc.

Zythophile has a thorough, detailed, history and we have them to thank for the picture, from 1842.

This 1890 insurance map shows the brewery stretching north up to Quaker Street and over to the east side of Brick Lane, absorbing streets in the process.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Black Eagle Brewery

Commemorated ati

Bowler plaque - Four Tankards

This cast-iron roundel, showing 4 tankards around an eagle motif, is one of 2...

Read More

Other Subjects

Constance Spry

Constance Spry

Floral artist. Born Constance Fletcher at 58 Warner Street, Derby. Educated in Ireland, she returned to England during WW1 as a welfare worker in the east end of London. Her work with flowers did n...

Person, Craft / Design, Food & Drink, Ireland

1 memorial
Nicholson's pubs

Nicholson's pubs

The Nicholson's brothers opened their first pub in 1873.

Group, Commerce, Food & Drink

1 memorial
William Nicholson

William Nicholson

Distiller, politician, cricket player, benefactor.  Born Upper Holloway into a gin distillery family.  They made Lamplighter gin at Three Mills on the River Lea.  The business moved into running pu...

Person, Benefactor, Food & Drink, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Sir John Lyon

Sir John Lyon

Sir John Lyon was a wealthy City merchant and a grocer, and Lord Mayor of London 1554-5. He was first cousin to John Lyon who founded The John Lyon School.

Person, Commerce, Food & Drink, Lord Mayor

1 memorial
Alexis Soyer

Alexis Soyer

Chef, author of cookbooks, inventor. One of the first celebrity chefs. Born France. Trained in Paris and fled to England during the French Revolution in 1830. Designed, invented and introduced vari...

Person, Food & Drink, France

1 memorial