The Holt family originates from Whitby in Yorkshire  in a line of shipbuilders. John Holt (1742 – 1828) married Mary MILNER (1743-1803) and had one son Thomas (1773 – 1859) Although born in Whitby he moved to London, for reasons unknown, where he is described in the 1851 Census as “gentleman”, aged 77. The family appears to have been fiercely religiously Independent and many baptisms were recorded in Presbyterian Non-Conformist establishments.

Thomas married Harriet Marie Berry (1788 – 1869) and they had five children

John Holt (1812 – 1889)

Mary Berry Holt (1814 – )

Thomas Holt (1816 – )

William Skinner Holt (1818 – 1898)

Harriet Maria Holt (1822 – 1899)

The William Skinner mentioned here is known as “Senior” and he is listed in the censuses of 1851, 1861 & 1871 is listed as  a brewer living in Stepney, London. He bought Burnham Brewery in 1878 possibly whilst still living in Highgate, London. In the 1881 Census he is still recorded as a “brewer” but is now living in Mark Road, Brent Knoll and in 1891 in Somerset Court, Brent Knoll, now age 72 and retired.

William Skinner Holt Senior married Marianne Ellen Robson in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1848 and they had five children

Marianne Ellen Holt (1849 – 1928)

William Skinner Holt (Junior) (1851 – 1931)

Louisa Holt (1854 – 1923)

Thomas Holt (1857 – 1928)

Charles Lisle Holt  (1858 – 1889)

In 1883 a flood of the town contaminated the water supply which had been supplied by wells, one of which belonged to the Rev Theodore Crane Dupuis, Vicar of St Andrews. His wife and William Skinner Holt were responsible for bringing a piped water supply from Winscombe to Burnham in April 1888. Presumably Holt’s involvement was in order to have a ready supply of clean water for the brewing process. Previously it is thought that they “borrowed” water from the Dupuis’s own well. It’s uncertain if it was William Skinner Senior or Junior who was responsible. Possibly this would be W.S. Senior as his son Thomas was living in The Hall (now the Community Centre) at that time which would have made him and the DuPuis family neighbours.

HoltsBrewery became a limited company in 1895 and the Directors were W.S. Holt Senior, W.S.Holt Junior and Thomas Holt.

W.S. Holt died in 1898 and the business was then run by his son W.S. Holt Junior and his brother, Thomas

Williams Skinner Holt Junior had married Mina Ousley Deane(1863 – 1843) in 1886 at Eltham in Kent. They had four children,

Iris Ford Holt (1888 – 1961)

Marian Ousley Holt (1889 – 1954)

Charles Travers Holt (1890 – 1948)

Derreen Usher Holt (1892 – 1979)

Thomas had married Margaret Jane Edward in1897in Wedmore, where she was born. Thomas was again listed as a “brewer” in the Census of 1881, 1891,1901 and 1911

Thomas and his family lived in ‘The Hall’ (now the Community Centre)  from 1894. He was a keen sportsman and was responsible for the founding of Burnham Golf Club in 1890. He allowed the lands of The Hall (now Crosses Pen) to be used for public functions. He was also a trustee of The War Memorial Hospital.

Thomas and Margaret had three children

Arthur Edward Holt (1898 – 1917)

Cecil William Holt (1899 – 1914)

Ernest Gerald Holt – (1904 -1970)

Sadly both Arthur and Cecil were casualties of World War I, Arthur died of his wounds aged 19  and Cecil’s ship “The Hogue” was torpedoed and sunk. He was a Midshipman aged 14 and destined for a Naval Career.

Thomas Holt died in 1928 and in turn was succeeded by his own son, Ernest Gerald Holt, known as “Gerald”

In the upper gallery of St Andrew’s Curch there is a memorial plate to Thomas Holt:

Ernest (known as Gerald) married Blanche Frances Hill in 1931  and they had

Two children

Vernon Thomas Holt (1932 – 1985) known as “Tom”

Gwynned Rosemary Holt –(1935 – –)

 

By 1962 the Brewery had passed from Starkey, Knight and Ford, who had acquired it in 1957 to Whitbreads in 1962 at which time “Tom” Holt was still working for them. He apparently owned a Jaguar car, registration TH 33, when still in Burnham. He moved to the Cotswolds where he died in 1985.

Holts Brewery had successfully been run for almost a century by four generations of Holts starting in1878 until its final closure in 1957 or 59 (information varies). The site was demolished in 1966 or 68 (again information varies). In total the brewery had existed for almost two hundred years in a number of different ownerships.

Some of the photos above were kindly made available by Briony , Gerald Holt’s granddaughter.

In the Census for 1861 there is a record of a Robert B(urbank) Holt, born in 1826 also in Whitby, visiting Mary Chapman (nee Green) and her daughter Anna who were living together in Brunswick Street Burnham (now Brunswick Terrace). Oddly she is described as a “Railway Proprietor” aged 24. Robert married Harriett Chapman in a Non-Conformist ceremony in Canterbury in 1850, Harriett came from Brean. Robert Burbank Holt and William and William Skinner Holt were first cousins once removed. As for the description of Anna’s occupation of “Railway Proprietor” it does seem enigmatic, especially due to her age.

TIME LINE

1770	Burnham Brewery founded	John Allen
1862	Burnham Brewery transferred	Shackel Family
1878	Burnham Brewery purchased	William Skinner Holt (Senior)
1883	Somerset Court	Residence of W.S. Holt Senior
1891	Golf Club opens	W.S. Holt Vice President
1891	Golf Club open	Thomas Holt Secretary
1895	Became a Limited Company
1895	Masons Arms	Holts sell to J B Braithwaite
1895	National School	W.S. Holt Senior donation £2 2s.0d
1895	National School	Holt Bros., donation £2 2s 0d
1897	The Hall	Thomas Holt occupier
1897	Sandyway House	W.S.Holt (Junior) occupier
1911	The Hall	Thomas Holt occupier
1911	Ball Copse Hall	W.S.Holt Junior occupier
1914	At sea	Cecil William Holt dies
1917	France	Arthur Edward Holt dies
1928	Land donated to build St Peters Hall. Later R.C. Church Hall	Holts Brewery
1929	Appointment to Board of Holts	Major James Mackintosh Sutherland (husband of Marian Ousley Holt)
1931		W.S.Holt Junior dies
1935	The Hall	Mrs Thomas Holt occupier
1935	The Croft, Brent Knoll	E.G. Holt occupier
1950 circa	The Hall	Kathryn Chambers Home
1970		E.G.Holt dies
1970	Little Court, Church House Road, Berrow	Mrs E.G.Holt new home
1980		Mrs  E.G.Holt dies

PUBS OWNED / SUPPLID BY HOLT BROS.

Godspeed?, Alexandra Hotel	Alexandra Hotel	Freehold
Bath Arms	Weston super Mare	Freehold
Bristol Hotel	Weston super Mare	Freehold
Cavendish Hotel	Weston super Mare	Freehold
Elm Tree Hotel	Weston super Mare	Freehold
Raglan Arms	Weston super Mare	Freehold
Victoria Hotel	Weston super Mare	Freehold
Anchor	Highbridge	Freehold
George Hotel	Highbridge	Freehold
Globe Inn	Highbridge	Freehold
Queens Hotel	Burnham on Sea	Freehold
Rose & Crown	Highbridge	Freehold
Somerset Wine Stores	Burnham on Sea	Freehold
Somerset Arms	Highbridge	Freehold
Ship Inn	Highbridge	Freehold
White Hart Inn	Highbridge	Freehold
Bird in Hand Inn	Bridgwater	Freehold
Anchor Inn	Bleadon	Freehold
Queens Arms Inn	Bleadon	Freehold
Wellington Hotel	Berrow	Freehold
Bell Hotel	Banwell	Freehold
Manor House Inn	Chedzoy	Freehold
Red Lion	Draycott	Freehold
Wellington Arms Hotel	East Brent	Freehold
Crown Inn	Huntspill	Freehold
Dolphin	Langport	Freehold
Rose & Crown Inn	Nether Stowey	Freehold
Star Inn	Shipham	Freehold
Beresford Arms Inn	Taunton	Freehold
Westgate Inn	Taunaton	Freehold
Ship Hotel	Uphill	Freehold
Panborough Inn	Wedmore	Freehold
Railway Hotel	Westbury	Freehold
First and Last	Moorlinch	Freehold
Railway Inn	Huntspill	Freehold
Railway Hotel	Burnham on Sea	Freehold
Bason Bridge inn	Huntspill	Freehold
Fordgate Tavern	North Petherton	Freehold
Ring of Bells	Burnham on Sea	Freehold
Golden Ball	Bridgwater	Freehold
Red Cow Inn	South Brent	Freehold
Ashcott Inn	Ashcott	Freehold
Clarence Hotel	Burnham on Sea	Freehold
Victoria Hotel	Burnham on Sea	Freehold
White Lion Inn	Aller	Freehold
Maltshovel Inn	Cannington	Freehold
Railway Hotel	Edington	Freehold
Brent Knoll Inn	East Brent	Freehold
Victoria House	Burnham on Sea	Freehold
Full Moon	Taunton	Freehold
Rising Sun	Godney, Meare	Freehold
Burton Inn	Stogursey	Freehold
Ruishton Inn	Ruishton	Freehold
Commercial Hotel	Burnham on Sea	Freehold
Fox and Hounds	Stogursey	Freehold
Hobbs Boat Inn	Lympsham	Freehold
Swan Hotel	Wedmore	Freehold
Puzzle Gardens Inn	Burnham on Sea	Freehold
New Moon Inn	Biddisham	Freehold
White Hart Inn	Moorlinch	Freehold
Claremont Vaults	Weston super Mare	Freehold
Blue Anchor	Cannington	Freehold
Globe Inn	Huntspill	Freehold
Plough Hotel	Holford	Freehold
Malt& Hops Inn	North Petherton	Freehold
Globe Inn	Blakeway	Freehold
Hope & Anchor	Bridgwater	Freehold
Royal Hotel	Moorlinch	Leasehold
Crown Inn	Axbridge	Leasehold
Custom House Hotel	Cardiff	Leasehold
Commercial Inn	Bridgwater	Leasehold

Research by Alan Wheway