{{short description|Brewery in Oxford, England}} {{EngvarB|date=June 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}} {{Infobox company |name = Morrell's Brewing Company |image = The Brewery gates - geograph.org.uk - 1385776.jpg |image_caption = Gates of what was the Lion Brewery |location = St Thomas's Street<br/>Oxford<br>England |owner = Morrell family |founded = 1743 |defunct = 1998 |former_name = The Lion Brewery

}}

'''Morrell's Brewing Company''', also known as the '''Lion Brewery''' after their principal brewery, was the only major brewery in Oxford, England. It operated between 1782 and 1998.

==History== ===Establishment=== thumb|The Swan Inn, Rose Island, River Thames; the sign to the left advertises Morrell's Genuine Ales & Stout The Lion Brewery was founded in 1743 by Richard Tawney (1684–1756), a former boat master of Upper Fisher Row, just off St Thomas' Street in Oxford. It passed to his elder son, also Richard Tawney (1721–1791), and as he left no male heir, it then passed to his younger brother Edward Tawney (1735–1800).<ref>{{harvnb|Allen|1994|p=}}{{Page needed|date=November 2014}}</ref><ref name=headhist>{{cite web |url= http://www.headington.org.uk/history/famous_people/morrellfamily.htm |last=Jenkins |first=Stephanie |title=Morrell / Wharton / Tawney families |work=Headington history: People |date=19 April 2009 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref>

In 1797, Edward Tawney formed a partnership with Mark and James Morrell, whose uncle was a prominent Oxford solicitor, with a view to them buying out his interest. James Morrell (1773–1855) eventually became the sole owner of the brewery, and he was succeeded by his son, also James Morrell (1810–1863).<ref name=headhist/> 1863 and 1864 saw the deaths of James Morrell and his wife Alicia leaving the brewery to their ten year old daughter Emily Morrell. Her inheritance was put under the control of three trustees who tried to deal with Emily's crush on a distant cousin by sending her away to an aunt and forbidding any communication between the pair.<ref name=lastbrew>{{Cite web|title=Last orders for brewing legend|url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6639304.last-orders-brewing-legend/|access-date=2021-04-23|website=Oxford Mail|date=10 July 1998 |language=en}}</ref>

===Going concern=== Morrell's brewed its beers at the Lion Brewery in St Thomas Street. In the 19th century Morrell's redeveloped and extended the Lion Brewery a number of times. A large brewing shed was added in 1879, a blacksmith's shop and engine house in 1880, a further shed and new yard in 1882, stables in 1889, new offices in 1892, a tun room in 1895, further offices in 1897 and a tall octagonal chimney in 1901.<ref name=Woolley79>{{harvnb|Woolley|2010|p=79}}</ref> All these developments were designed by the local architect Harry Drinkwater,<ref name=Woolley79/> who also designed a number of the company's pubs.{{sfn|Tyack|1998|p=269}}

The Lion Brewery was powered by a waterwheel on Castle Mill Stream, a branch of the River Thames. This was supplemented by steam engines for which the engine house was built.<ref name=Woolley79/> One rotative beam engine that was built for the Lion Brewery in about 1826 remained in service until 1964 and is now preserved at the Abbey Pumping Station, Leicester.

The Morrell family lived at Headington Hill Hall and their estate included South Park. The family included Philip Morrell (1870–1943), who was a Liberal MP 1906–18 and was married to Lady Ottoline Morrell. In 1929–31 Morrell Avenue was built along the south side of South Park.{{sfn|Hibbert|1988|p=261}} The family also owned the village of Streatley and one side of the family lived there, until Emily Morrell died in 1938, when the estate was sold.

===Closure=== After an acrimonious family dispute the brewery was closed in 1998.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6639322.Morrells_Brewery_up_for_sale/ |title=Morrells Brewery up for sale |newspaper=Oxford Mail |publisher=Newsquest |date=9 July 1998 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref>

Refresh UK bought the beer brands and for a time Thomas Hardy Burtonwood was contracted to brew them.<ref name=MA>{{cite news |url= http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Company-City-News/The-night-watch-Morrells-of-Oxford |title=The night watch: Morrells of Oxford |newspaper=Morning Advertiser |date=14 March 2001 |accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> Marston's acquired Refresh UK in 2008 and now brew Morrells beers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Operators/Marston-s/Marston-s-buys-Refresh-UK |title=Marston's buys Refresh UK |newspaper=Morning Advertiser |date=3 April 2008 |accessdate=11 March 2017}}</ref>

Michael Cannon, owner of the US hamburger chain Fuddruckers, bought Morrell's estate of 132 tied pubs for £48&nbsp;million through a new company, Morrells of Oxford.<ref name=MA/><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6638343.Pub_tycoon_could_buy_Morrells/ |title=Morrells Brewery up for sale |newspaper=Oxford Mail |publisher=Newsquest |date=28 September 1998 |accessdate=27 November 2014}}</ref> In 2002 Cannon sold 107 of the pubs to Greene King for £67&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2051362.stm |title=Brewer buys pub chain for £67&nbsp;million |publisher=BBC News |date=18 June 2002 |access-date=17 April 2010}}</ref>

The Lion Brewery site was redeveloped for luxury apartments in 2002.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6623199.Brewery_site_plan_nears_final_hurdle/ |title=Brewery site plan nears final hurdle |newspaper=Oxford Mail |publisher=Newsquest |date=19 February 2001 |accessdate=17 April 2010}}</ref> The waterwheel and yellow brick chimney were retained but only the façades were retained of the other buildings.<ref name=Woolley79/>

==References== {{reflist|30em}} [[File:A-frame beam engine, side view, Abbey pumping station, Leicester.jpg|thumb|Rotative beam engine built for the Lion Brewery about 1826 and now preserved at the Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester]]

==Sources and further reading== *{{cite book |last=Allen |first=Brigid |year=1994 |title=Morrells of Oxford: The Family and Their Brewery 1743–1993 |place=Stroud |publisher=Alan Sutton Publishing |isbn=978-0-7509-0634-0}} *{{cite book |editor-last=Hibbert |editor-first=Christopher |editor-link=Christopher Hibbert |year=1988 |title=The Encyclopaedia of Oxford |publisher=Macmillan |chapter=Morrell Avenue / Morrell's Brewery |page=261 |isbn=0-333-39917-X}} *{{cite book |last=Tyack |first=Geoffrey |title=Oxford An Architectural Guide |year=1998 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford & New York |isbn=0-19-817423-3 |page=269}} *{{cite journal |last1=Woolley |first1=Liz |year=2010 |title=Industrial Architecture in Oxford, 1870 to 1914 |journal=Oxoniensia |volume=LXXV |page=79 |publisher=Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society |issn=0308-5562}}

==External links== {{commons category|Morrell's Brewery|position=left}} {{coord|51.7515|-1.2650|type:landmark_region:GB-OXF|display=title}}

Category:1743 establishments in England<!-- as a brewery --> Category:1998 disestablishments in England

Category:British companies established in 1782 <!-- under Morrells name --> Category:British companies disestablished in 1998 Category:Companies based in Oxford Category:Defunct breweries of the United Kingdom Category:History of Oxford Category:1782 establishments in England Category:Food and drink companies established in 1782