Canning Street now London Road, Glasgow.
Staff at the Greenhead Brewery in Canning Street now London Road, Calton. 1890.
The Greenhead Brewery was built c1800 by John Struthers of the Gallowgate Brewery in Kent Street, Glasgow in the east end of the city, and was acquired by his son Robert by James Steel in 1853. Five years later Steel expanded his brewing business to Edinburgh, and in 1865 went into partnership with George Coulson to form Steel, Coulson & Co. Steel died in 1891 but the Greenhead Brewery continued to brew beer until 1946. The bottlers Joseph Dunn Ltd, which had leased part of the buildings since 1932, acquired the entire complex in 1960. The firm became Dunn & Moore after a merger with D & C Moore. Thanks to the Mitchell Library.
James Steel (1821-1891) inherited his father’s brewery in Tureen Street in Calton in the 1840’s. In 1853 he moved his brewing operation to the Greenhead Brewery in Canning Street now London Road, which he purchased from Robert Struthers.
In 1858 he acquired the Craigend Brewery in Cannongate, Edinburgh, from J & W Burnett. The Glasgow Brewery, specialised in the Brewing of Stouts and porters, while mild and pale ales were brewed in Edinburgh. George F Coulson joined Steel to form the partnership Steel, Coulson & Co. in 1865.
In 1874 Steel Coulson & Co. sold Craigend Brewery to Andrew Drybrough & Co and acquired the City of Edinburgh Brewing Co.’s Brewery on Abbey Hill in Edinburgh. The new brewery was renamed Croft – an – Righ (The Kings Fields). Steel subsequently sold his interests in the business to Coulson, who became sole partner.
Coulson & Co. Ltd was registered in May 1888 as a Limited Liability Company to acquire the business at a purchase price of £130,000. The joint managing directors were Frank and John Laurie Coulson, the sons of George (Who had retired from the business). The company took over Robert Deuchor Ltd of the Sandyford Brewery in Newcastle – Upon – Tyne in 1941. Most of the site of the Greenhead Brewery were leased to bottling companies in the 1930s, and the site was sold to James Calder & Co. in 1946. Vaux associated breweries Ltd, Sunderland acquired a controlling interest in the company in 1956 and completed the acquisition in 1959. The Company owned 16 licensed houses at that time.
The Croft – an – Righ brewery ceased to brew in 1960 although Vaux continued to make beers in Steel, Coulson name at the Park Brewery in Edinburgh. The malting’s & Bottling plant at the site continued in use until 1966, when remaining buildings associated with the business were demolished.