Andrew Reid (brewer)
Andrew Reid | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1751 Scotland |
| Died | 1841 |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, brewer, distiller |
| Years active | Late 18th century – early 19th century |
| Known for | Brewing and distilling industries, High Sheriff of Hertfordshire (1815) |
Andrew Reid (1751–1841) was a Scottish entrepreneur in brewing and distilling industries. In 1815, he held the office of High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.
Early life
Born to John Reid of Tain (baptised 1721 – 1779) and Mary Ross, Andrew had two siblings: John, who pursued commerce, and David, an officer in the Bengal Army. Reid spent part of his youth in India; during the late 1770s, he served as supercargo aboard the Prince de Kaunitz, an Indiaman vessel operated by the Imperial Asiatic Company of Trieste and Antwerp. After marrying in 1782, he joined the London partnership Gildart & Reid with his father-in-law. Both Andrew and David Reid engaged in the opium trade alongside merchant William Fairlie.
Advancing his career as a merchant in wines and spirits as well as a distiller, Reid acted as the London resident partner for John Fergusson & Co. from 1790 to 1793, working with John Fergusson, Fairlie, David Scott, and others involved in Indian commerce.
Brewer
In 1793, Reid became part of the brewing firm Meux & Jackson, which operated under the name Meux, Reid & Co. His financial contribution facilitated the erection of a substantial vat at the Griffin Brewery. Robert Wigram joined the company five years later. Disputes arose when Reid suspected undisclosed activities within the enterprise, resulting in a chancery lawsuit in 1808 against Henry Meux, son of founder Richard Meux. The court uncovered an illicit distillery operation and mandated its sale; ownership transferred to members of both the Reid and Wigram families. The partnership was reorganized in 1809 with Thomas Meux representing his family interests and John Reid along with his brother Andrew as partners; Andrew assumed senior partner responsibilities. Following Thomas Meux’s departure in 1816, the business continued under the name Reid & Co..
Quarrel with William Ross
Reid’s mother was a daughter of Andrew Ross; her nephew William Ross was employed by the East India Company and later became laird of Shandwick. Andrew Reid confronted Ross over improper conduct towards his sisters by challenging him to a duel; Ross refused due to Reid’s marital status. Subsequently, Reid arranged for his brother David to duel Ross in 1790, which resulted in Ross being fatally wounded.
Property
Between 1790 and 1796, Reid leased 46 Bedford Square in London and acquired the Greenhill Grove estate (also known as Pricklers) in Hertfordshire in 1790, which he sold two decades later. He then relocated to Lionsdown in Chipping Barnet, where he made improvements and resided thereafter. He contributed agricultural observations on Enfield Chase to John Middleton’s View of the Agriculture of Middlesex (1807). After William Ross’s death, ownership of the Shandwick estate passed into Reid's family but remained subject to legal disputes throughout the nineteenth century. By 1881, two claimants divided the estate; Nevile Reid (born 1839), Andrew Reid’s grandson, ultimately prevailed and became recognized as Reid of Shandwick.
Family
In 1782, Reid married Harriet Gildart (1763–1802), daughter of Thomas Gildart and granddaughter of Richard Gildart. They had four sons along with several daughters:
- Andrew Gildart Reid (born 1783), who died aged eighteen during a voyage to India.
- John Reid (1786–1792).
- Nevile Reid (1789–1839), briefly educated at Harrow School, served in the Royal Navy, later becoming a wine merchant. He married Eliza Maria Boddam (died 1821) and subsequently Caroline Napier (1798–1844), daughter of Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier. Nevile worked as a banker in Windsor and invested in Manning & Anderdon.
- George Alexander Reid (1794–1852), an army officer who also served as Member of Parliament for Windsor.
His daughters included Mary (1792–1849), who married West Indies merchant and plantation owner John Innes (1786–1869) and was mother to philanthropist John Innes (1829–1904). Anna Maria (died 1870) and Louisa (died 1881), both unmarried, financed St James Church, Gerrards Cross in memory of their brother George Alexander.
Reid’s second marriage took place in 1804 to Jannet McNeil, daughter of Delicia McNeil. They had five sons:
- William Reid (1805–1867), educated at Harrow School, partner at Reid & Co., married Louisa Margaret Barkly—daughter of sugar merchant and plantation owner Aeneas Barkly. He inherited Lyonsdown but sold it after moving to The Node in Codicote.
- Hugh Reid, who died unmarried.
- Henry Reid, ordained cleric from 1830 who served as curate at Great Bardfield, Essex before residing in Barnet.
- David Reid.
- Robert Reid, who died childless; married Dora Loraine Fraser in 1842, connecting to the Fraser family of Achnagairn.
This extensive family network linked Andrew Reid to prominent commercial ventures and landed estates, securing his business legacy across successive generations.