History of the Whitbread Shires
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Horses housed at Chiswell Street and Garrett Street stables
1750 Stables rented in Grub Street now Milton Street for 60 horses
1758 Stables erected in North yard
1774 Stables erected in South yard
1799 Horses were delivering to 392 licensed victuallers in London.
1802 60 horses
1839 Whitbread Shires pull the Speakers Coach at the Coronation
for the first time
1868 New stable opened in south yard
1880 111 Horses
1897 Garrett Street stable opened. Built to take the overflow from Chiswell Street
stables. Built on 3 floors linked with sloping ramps. 13 horses on ground
floor, 36 on first floor, over 50 on top floor
1900 Regulations introduced to make reins compulsory by law. Previously
carters controlled their horses by whip and voice.
1904 400 horses
1906 The heavy cart horses at Weston Street depot used for delivering bottled
beer were replaced by trotters.
1908 378 horses
1909 368 horses and first lorry was purchased at Newport
on the Isle of Wight.
1910 362 horses
1911 364 horses
1912 374 horses
1913 371 horses
During the first World War 118 of the best horses were commandeered by the Government. None ever returned
1914 366 horses
1915 304 horses
1916 338 horss
1917 294 horses
1918 227 horses
1919 244 horses
1920 The first mechanically propelled vehicle was
purchased at Chiswell Street Brewery
1920 Chiswell Street stable closed
1923 The first petrol lorry was introduced at the Chiswell Street brewery
1925 141 horses at Chiswell Street and Garrett Street stables.
1925 The colours of the drays and lorries were changed from green
and white to the present brown and gold.
Sign outside Garrett Street stable between the first and second floors
1955 First floor stable with horses in standing stalls
Above
The drivers working harness was hung behind their
horses on hooks attached to the posts along with the
drivers leather apron.
Each horse had its own collar, but the harness would be
used by the driver for any other horse
From 1920 -1930 Number of horses steadily declines as mechanical transport takes over.
Horse traffic banned from many streets by authorities.
1930 Top floor stable closed
1935 May 6th Whitbread shires pull the Speakers Coach in the Silver Jubilee for King George V
1937 Whitbread shires pull the Speakers coach and supply the Coachman
and two footmen
May 1938 Last depot to use horses ( trotters and light vanners only ) was Weston Rise
( Kings Cross ) Had smallest delivery area of all depots.
1939 53 horses at Garrett Street stables. All shires. No shires anywhere else
1946 28 shires at Garrett Street delivering 4 ton loads of beer to pubs over a wide radias
( Deptford, Greenwich, Tottenham, Chelsea, Lewisham.
1951 33 shires at Garrett Street
1953 Whitbread shires pull the Speakers coach at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth I I
1955 Whitbread shires pull the Lord Mayor's Coach for the first time
September 16th 1991 Garrett Street stables close
June 1997 Hop Farm Stable close
1984 First floor stable with horses in loose boxes two standing stalls were made into one loose box
John Sparks with Saturn
Above and left ( First floor stable )
There were twelve loose boxes.
Plus eight stalls to put horses in to washout,
groom,plait or while you mucked their boxes out.
My Life with The
WHITBREAD SHIRES
by John Sparks
O All photographs & Articles copyright John Sparks 2009 O
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