J&W Nicholson & Co
Encyclopedia
J&W Nicholson & Co was a London
-based gin
maker. Founded in 1730s during the Gin Craze
, the company stopped making gin in England 1941, and closed its premises Three Mills in 1966.
The company was formed during the Gin Craze, based in Clerkenwell
, mid-way between the grain mills and milling facilities located at Three Mills
, and the Gin palace
s in central London.
After his retirement from amateur cricket
, William Nicholson became company chairman. In 1864, the Marylebone Cricket Club
purchased the freehold of Lord's Cricket Ground
, paying all of the £18,333 6s 8d fee from monies advanced by Nicholson. Then, in 1889, the foundation stone was laid for the new Lord's Pavilion, paid for by a £21,000 loan from Nicholson. From its foundation in 1787 until this point, the MCC's colours had been sky blue, but changed around this date to the red and yellow, also the corporate colour scheme of Nicholson's.
In 1872, the company acquired Three Mills, moving production of its Lamplighter Gin to the location. The company ceased gin production at Three Mills in 1941 due to rationing based shortages in the United Kingdom during World War II
.
In 1966, the company sold the Three Mills facility, and in the 1970s the Nicholson family, headed by Sir Richard Nicholson, sold the remaining gin brands and business to the Distillers Company.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
maker. Founded in 1730s during the Gin Craze
Gin Craze
The Gin Craze was a period in the first half of the 18th century when the consumption of gin increased rapidly in Great Britain, especially in London...
, the company stopped making gin in England 1941, and closed its premises Three Mills in 1966.
The company was formed during the Gin Craze, based in Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
, mid-way between the grain mills and milling facilities located at Three Mills
Three Mills
The Three Mills are former working mills on the River Lea in the East End of London, one of London’s oldest extant industrial centres. The largest and most powerful of the four remaining tidal mills is possibly the largest tidal mill in the world...
, and the Gin palace
Gin palace
A gin palace is an English name originally for a lavish bar selling gin, later transferred by association to late Victorian pubs designed in a similar style....
s in central London.
After his retirement from amateur cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, William Nicholson became company chairman. In 1864, the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
purchased the freehold of Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, paying all of the £18,333 6s 8d fee from monies advanced by Nicholson. Then, in 1889, the foundation stone was laid for the new Lord's Pavilion, paid for by a £21,000 loan from Nicholson. From its foundation in 1787 until this point, the MCC's colours had been sky blue, but changed around this date to the red and yellow, also the corporate colour scheme of Nicholson's.
In 1872, the company acquired Three Mills, moving production of its Lamplighter Gin to the location. The company ceased gin production at Three Mills in 1941 due to rationing based shortages in the United Kingdom during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In 1966, the company sold the Three Mills facility, and in the 1970s the Nicholson family, headed by Sir Richard Nicholson, sold the remaining gin brands and business to the Distillers Company.