Ruth's Blog

Collectors of vintage bottles are familiar with East family, particularly their stoneware ginger beer bottles with a picture of St James’ Church, and their glass codd bottles which have a marble stopper.

The founder of the East dynasty in Louth was William East who came from the village of Minting and ran the Turk’s Head inn until 1835.  He was an enterprising man, not only a pub landlord, but also a brewer and merchant.  His sons William and John joined the family businesses, and later John’s three sons – John William, Thomas Overton and Ernest East – who traded as East Bros.

The East brewery with its brew house, malt kilns, water wheel, cooper’s workshop and barrel wash, was on a large site in Maiden Row, now Church Street, near the bus station.  Thomas Overton East who had been running the brewery, died in 1889 when he was only 35.  His executors continued the business for a few years before selling it in 1896.

The purchaser of the brewery was Thomas Montague Winch, son of a wealthy brewer in Kent, who soon went into partnership with Alford brewers to become Soulby, Sons & Winch.  However, in 1902 brewing ceased at their Louth site.  In the 20th century the brewery building became Allinsons printers and is now modern housing.  The initials WE can be seen on the gable end of the East family house in Church Street, but there are few other visible clues of this once-prominent business.