Cheesehill Street Brewery and the St Giles Hill Graveyard

The Cheesehill Street brewery was located on Chesil Street (previously known as Cheesehill Street) opposite St Peters Cheesehill church. A brewery was probably in this location from the late 18^th C. until the beginning of the 20^th C.

The ordinance survey 6-inch map published in 1874 (surveyed 1869) shows the location of the brewery.

An article on the Hampshire Archives Trust website details the Pointing family who owned the Cheesehill St Brewery for most of the 19^th C.

See the following link. https://www.cultureoncall.com/the-pointers-of-cheesehill-street-winchester/

The article records the progress of the Pointing family and the Ceesehill Street Brewery from the late 18^th century until 1895 when the family sold the brewery. The family was baptized and married in St Peter Church Cheesehill St and they worked just across the road from the church in the brewery. The Pointers were also buried locally in St Giles Hill Graveyard. The brewery was successful and continued to expand. Building changes can be seen on the ordinance survey 25-inch series map published in 1895.

The railway can also be seen which was opened shortly before the map was published. The photo below apparently taken from the top of the cathedral is dated 1900. The new railway cutting is very prominent and two chimneys probably belong to the brewery.

The early Pointer’s had an impressive Box Tomb in the top part of St Giles Hill Graveyard. Sadly, it has collapsed but there are inscriptions on the lid to Ann Pointer the 1st wife of George Pointer (lister as Maltster and brewery owner in the 1841 census) who died in 1838, and to George himself who died on the 15th March 1872, and to Mary his 2nd wife who died on 18th December 1873.

One of the sides commemorates the 2nd son of John Pointer – Giles Henry who died May 22nd, 1829 aged 22 years. John Pointer was the father of George Pointer. More details can be found in the HAT article.

We have records of other inscriptions records for the box tomb on the sides of this tomb, but the stone slabs forming the other sides of the tomb are lost.

But we know they were – include “Sacred To The Memory of John POINTER who died April 7th, 1814 aged 78 years also Sacred To The Memory of Anna wife of John POINTER who died March 20th, 1814 aged 72 years”. Also Sacred To The memory of John POINTER who died August 24th, 1815 aged 52 years “.

In the 1860’s the brewery was run by George Pointers’ son Giles Henry. Live appears to have been good for Giles Henry and his family until 1877 when his first wife Marianne died.

A cross and stone surround commemorate Giles Henry Pointer who died September 30th, 1890 aged 57 years and Marianne his (1st) wife who died August 23rd, 1877.

The last Pointer to own the brewery was George William but he sold it in 1895.

The new owner was Benjamin Bishop Colson, who is also buried in St Giles Hill Graveyard. In the 1911 Census, Benjamin was listed as a brewery owner living at 2 Beaufort Rd, The Fables, Winchester. Listed in the household are his wife Maria, his 2 daughters Margaret and Alice, and 2 servants. Things did not go so well for him as WWI had a devastating effect on the brewing industry and forced its eventual closure.

The demise of the brewery is probably associated with the Defence of the Realm Act (known as DORA) was introduced in 1914.  During WWI politicians were worried that alcohol consumption would have a negative impact on the war effort if factory and munitions workers were frequently getting drunk. Therefore, this act restricted the opening hours of pubs to prevent excessive drinking, so they were only allowed to open for short periods around lunch and dinner times. Beer was watered down and tax was increased on alcohol with the result of doubling the price of a pint. It also became illegal to buy “rounds” of drinks or a drink for anyone else but yourself.

In 1914 some 89 million gallons of alcohol were consumed each year in Britain, by 1918, this had gone down to 37 million gallons.

Benjamin Bishop Colson is buried with his parents Margaret Barter Colson and William Colson. The headstone can be located at the southern end of the entrance track on the left-hand side just before the break of the slope.

The inscription reads – Margaret Barter wife of William COLSON who died October 29th, 1876 aged 38 years, Also of the above William COLSON who died June 20th, 1884 aged 49 years also Benjamin Bishop COLSON eldest son of the above who died June 14th, 1928 aged 69 years.

The site of the brewery was still listed as being a brewery in the 1913 edition of Warren’s Directory, and in 1915 in the Brewers Almanack, but production is thought to have ceased by 1917 and in the same year the war office issued a contract to convert a part of the building to an abattoir.