Thomas Carling and the brewing empire that bears his name

Hull and the East Riding has a rich, diverse, and fascinating history. Many are aware of William Wilberforce and his campaign to abolish slavery, or the refusal by Sir John Hotham to admit Charles I to Hull. You may recall from an earlier Unlocking the Treasure’s blog, the lesser-known account of Luke Foxe, a Hull born mariner whose quest was to seek the Northwest Passage, and while ending in failure, his voyage would enable later mariners and adventures to expand of Foxe’s voyage, which eventually led to the traversing of the passage during the early 20th century. Another less well known, but equally fascinating story we’ve come across while working on the Unlocking the Treasures project is that of Thomas Carling.

Thomas was born in June 1797 at Etton, four miles north-west of Beverley. In 1818, aged 21, he emigrated to Canada, settling in Ontario, where he would eventually go on to establish the brewery that bore his name ‘Carling’ in 1840. This is the story of Thomas Carling, the East Yorkshire man behind one of the world’s recognised brands of lager.

Interior of St. Mary's Church, Etton, 1867. It was here on 4 Jun 1797 that Thomas Carling was baptised
[Ref: Lp.726.5(62) E/1]

Thomas was the son of William and Margaret Carling of Etton. The family came from humble origins. His father, William was a farm labourer. As a young lad Thomas would have learned the necessary skills from his father in farming and its practices, something which was to serve Thomas well in his adult life.

At the time Thomas was born, Britain was going through a period on unprecedented change brought about by industrialisation, including in agriculture, which itself was experiencing a revolution in farming and its techniques. At the time landowners were, had they had since the later seventeenth century, acquiring vast swathes of land. And those that had farmed the land for generations were becoming displaced. As a result, many workers relocated to the rapidly growing industrial towns and cities of industrial Britain. The Carling’s, however, came through this largely unscathed, remaining at Etton. Thomas’ father, William even became a farmer in his own right.

At the same time opportunities aboard were increasing. Many sought opportunities and a better life in places such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Newspapers advertised for young men to help build such countries, and for Thomas, Canada came calling. So in May, 1818, Thomas set sail from Hull to Canada.

View of the Humber from Wellington Street, Hull in 1817. This is the view that would have greeted Thomas Carling on his voyage from Hull to Canada in 1818
[Ref: Lp.9.7 WEL/3]

Thomas arrived in Canada around month or so later. The voyage was just the beginning of his journey. Thomas would have continued his journey by foot and by boat to London, Ontario. It was here that Thomas acquired rights for around 100 acres of land. He then set about clearing and making good the land, which would have involved the clearing of trees and the building of a dwelling, probably a log cabin of some type in the vicinity of the township of London, which was a vast remote area itself.

Within a year, Thomas had not only put down his roots, but he also married Margaret Routledge, daughter of a family that had emigrated to Canada. In 1824 Thomas moved to a farm further south, and in 1839 he moved again, this time into the town of London itself. It was from London that the origins of the Carling Brewery began.

Prior to this, Thomas had brewed beer as a farmer. It is reputed that when Thomas emigrated he took his father recipe and began to brew privately for himself and friends. It was custom for neighbouring farmers to help one another clear the land, and presumably as a thank you Thomas provided food and refreshment. One refreshment on the menu was said to have been Thomas’s home-brewed ale! Such was its quality he began brewing more and more. In time it grew so popular that it is said he eventually abandoned farming to take up brewing full-time.

Land for sale in Canada taken from the Hull Advertiser, 1832.
The Hull Advertiser is available on microfilm or via the public PCs at the Hull History Centre

Whatever the story, Thomas now saw his future in brewing and in 1840 opened his first brewery. The early brewery was a fairly humble affair. Thomas had just two kettles, a horse to turn the grinding mill and six men working the mashing tubs. However, Thomas saw an opportunity. He sold beer to the soldiers at the local military camp. Thomas was said to have also sold his beer on streets of London, Ontario from a wheelbarrow.

The brewery grew under the direction of Thomas. Around 1850 his two sons, William and John took over. Thomas took a back seat before eventually retiring. The brewery grew from strength to strength, so much so that steam power replaced horse power to meet demand. A new six-story brewery in the town built. Although largely destroyed by fire not long after opening, brewing was only temporarily halted before it once again resumed.

Thomas died in February 1880, aged 82 He had however, left his legacy in good hands. His sons would forge their careers not only within the business but also away from it. John, for example, went on to local politics, including serving as Federal Agriculture Minister which saw him knighted by Queen Victoria in 1893.

The Carling brewery continued to go from strength to strength, but the business fell out of the family in the 1930s, and has changed owners numerous times since. Today, owned Molson Coors, Carling lager is still one of the most popular brands around. In the UK it sells around five million barrels a year making it the UK’s number one lager. However, it was from it humble origins in East Yorkshire that the Carling brand began, all thanks to Thomas Carling.

Neil Chadwick

Librarian/Archivist