Newson Garrett
Encyclopedia
Newson Garrett was a maltster and brewer
instrumental in the revival of the town of Aldeburgh
, Suffolk
, of which he became mayor at the end of his life. Two of his six daughters became famous as women's rights activists.
Born in Leiston
in Suffolk, Garrett was the grandson of Richard Garrett, who founded the agricultural machinery works at Leiston, and Elizabeth Newson, after whom he was named. He became a pawnbroker in Whitechapel
, London
. where he married Louisa Dunnell, who bore their first child, Elizabeth (later Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
), there in 1836. In 1840 he moved to the Uplands in Aldeburgh and in March 1841, he bought the business of Osborne and Fennell, barley and coal merchants at Snape Bridge. The business proved profitable and he built Alde House as a summer residence.
Malting began at the Snape Bridge works in 1854 and its success established Garrett as the preeminent business man of the Sandlings. In 1889, he was elected to the position of Mayor of Aldeburgh; fifteen years later his daughter Elizabeth became the first woman mayor in the United Kingdom by taking the same post.
He was buried in the parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Aldeburgh, where there is a commemorative plaque on the wall.
The maltings at Snape Bridge was closed in the 1960s but, through the leadership of the composer Benjamin Britten
, was converted into the Snape Maltings
concert hall, which has become the principal venue for the annual Aldeburgh music festival
.
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
instrumental in the revival of the town of Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, of which he became mayor at the end of his life. Two of his six daughters became famous as women's rights activists.
Born in Leiston
Leiston
Leiston is a town in eastern Suffolk, England. It is situated near Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, about from the North Sea coast and is northeast of Ipswich and northeast from London...
in Suffolk, Garrett was the grandson of Richard Garrett, who founded the agricultural machinery works at Leiston, and Elizabeth Newson, after whom he was named. He became a pawnbroker in Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
, London
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...
. where he married Louisa Dunnell, who bore their first child, Elizabeth (later Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, LSA, MD , was an English physician and feminist, the first woman to gain a medical qualification in Britain and the first female mayor in England.-Early life:...
), there in 1836. In 1840 he moved to the Uplands in Aldeburgh and in March 1841, he bought the business of Osborne and Fennell, barley and coal merchants at Snape Bridge. The business proved profitable and he built Alde House as a summer residence.
Malting began at the Snape Bridge works in 1854 and its success established Garrett as the preeminent business man of the Sandlings. In 1889, he was elected to the position of Mayor of Aldeburgh; fifteen years later his daughter Elizabeth became the first woman mayor in the United Kingdom by taking the same post.
He was buried in the parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Aldeburgh, where there is a commemorative plaque on the wall.
The maltings at Snape Bridge was closed in the 1960s but, through the leadership of the composer Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
, was converted into the Snape Maltings
Snape Maltings
Snape Maltings is part of Snape, Suffolk, U.K., best known for its concert hall, which is one of the main sites of the annual Aldeburgh Festival....
concert hall, which has become the principal venue for the annual Aldeburgh music festival
Aldeburgh Festival
The Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
.