Clinch and Co Brewery, Isle of Man

Founded by John Williams Clinch III (1839 - 1905) in the Lake Brewery, North Quay, Douglas Isle of Man.

John Williams Clinch III (1839 – 1905) was the son of John Williams Clinch II (1814 - 1861). He missed inheriting Clinch & Co Brewery, the Witney, Oxfordshire based brewing business, because it passed to his uncle William Clinch upon the early death of his father in 1861. At the time John Williams III was a Brewers Clerk at the brewery in Witney.

In 1863, he rented the Lake Brewery in Douglas Isle of Man, with this coming into his ownership in about 1868. This brewery was founded originally in the 1770s

When Clinch and Co was formed it had a motto in Manx Gaelic, 'Glen as Lajer' or 'Clean and Strong' with a further motto 'Troor Duirn', which means 'Three Fists'

Clinch and Co, Lake Brewery appears to have had a turbulent business history, with John Williams III struggling to retain direct family control of the brewery until the banks forced its floatation in the 1890s. He remained Managing Director until his death.

John Williams Clinch III was prominent in Manx affairs. In addition to being the owner and Managing Director of the brewing company, he was a member of Douglas town Council and also President of the Manx Natural History and Antiquarian Society.

In 1899 he stood unsuccessfully as an MHK for Douglas in the House of Keys. His opponent was a well known dignatory and local temperance campaigner, a Mr Kermode. According to the Manx Notebook archives, there was a fierce election battle, in which the Douglas press took sides.

The brewery survived John Williams Clinch's death in 1905 and enjoyed some success during the early half of the 20th century.

However in 1945, the company and brewery were absorbed by Castletown Brewery. Clinch and Co failed to survive post war, partly because it failed to capitalise on evolving business conditions as World War II drew to a close.

The original brewery building in North Quay, Douglas survives and is now [http://www.clinchs.com/1.html Clinchs Celtic Tavern]

References

*A Time of Manx Cheer (Crumplin and Rawcliffe 2002)
*England Census 1841-1901
* [http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/ Manx Notebook]
* [http://www.clinchs.com/1.html Clinchs Celtic Tavern]
*Original research by Craig Carey-Clinch (2007)