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SLHS: Flower Family Tree

Director Natural History Museum

Lived: Avonbank House

( no children )

Ran the brewery together

Flower Brewing Origins

CoE. K. & H. Fordharn Ltd was originally founded in Ashwell, Hertfordshire by Elias Pym Fordharn in the late eighteenth century. Elias Fordham eventually sold his share of the brewery to his son, Oswald, who, together with his brother, Edward King Fordham, ran the family business. After Oswald's death in 1862, Edward King was joined in business by his cousin, Herbert Fordham, and, as of 1864, the firm traded as E. K. & H. Fordham. The brewery was registered as a limited liability company in 1897, see Richmond and Turton (eds), The Brewing Industry, p. 145

Start Of Brewing In Stratford

Whilst the family were renowned good brewers before arriving in Stratford and are credited building two large scale breweries in the town, exporting as far away as India, it is certainly true that their brewing did not get off to a good start at all. Jonathan Reinarz[1] puts it this way:

Trained in the art of brewing by the Fordhams - uncles and cousins who brewed in Ashwell, Hertfordshire - Edward Flower spent little time in his Stratford brewery during the 1830s. 2 Instead, having entrusted all brewing to apparently unqualified individuals, he suffered from what Francis Lawrence Talbot, a long-time employee made director, years later referred to as 'the crass ignorance' displayed by the operating brewers first employed in the Stratford brewery. 3 After many spoiled brews and having established an equally poor purchasing record, the firin's initial

brewers were eventually relieved of their duties. The brewery was rescued by the intervention of the proprietor, who reluctantly took operations into his own capable hands.

While signalling the end of an unsuccessful experimental period, the more stable brews produced by Edward Flower did not lead to a significant increase in trade. Shortly after joining the firm in 1845, Charles Flower found the business to be 'in a small way', paying little more than 'the usual annual household expenses'. 4 Sales 5 in 1847 amounted to E 10,220. During a good season the family could have expected to generate a profit equivalent to approximately 5 per cent of this sum. Even in lucrative years, however, both sons, and later partners, Charles and Edgar, found it difficult working with their father. This condition was almost certainly exacerbated by the fact that the brothersh ad spentc onsiderableti me away from home and in boarding schools during their formative years, when they understood little about business, only its effect on their father. When at home, the sons