Arthur Guinness II

Arthur Guinness
Born	Template:Birth date Beaumont House, Beaumont, Dublin, Ireland
Died	June 9, 1855(1855-06-09) (aged 87)
Occupation(s)	Brewer, banker, politician, flour mill operator, philanthropist
Years active	1780s–1855
Known for	Expansion of Guinness brewery; Governor of Bank of Ireland; philanthropy

Arthur Guinness (12 March 1768 – 9 June 1855) was a prominent Irish figure known for his roles as a brewer, banker, politician, and flour mill operator in Dublin, Ireland. To differentiate him from his father, also named Arthur Guinness (1725–1803), he is frequently referred to as "Arthur Guinness II" or Arthur II Guinness.

Family and early career

Arthur Hart Guinness, the second son of Arthur Guinness and Olivia Whitmore, was born at Beaumont House in Beaumont, Dublin. He received his education at White's Academy in Dublin before beginning his career at the St James's Gate brewery during the 1780s. By 1790, his father acknowledged his significant role in expanding the brewery. Upon marrying Anne Lee in 1793, the brewery lease was included in their marriage settlement, indicating his planned future leadership. His brothers Benjamin and William also played active roles within the brewery operations.

In 1782, Arthur’s father established the "Hibernian Mills" in Kilmainham to produce flour, addressing the needs of Dublin’s increasing population amid growing Irish exports promoted by the Irish Patriot Party, which had the support of the Guinness family.

The Brewery partnership

Following their father's passing in 1803, Arthur joined forces with his brothers Benjamin and William to create the partnership "A. B. & W.L. Guinness & Co," managing both brewing and flour milling enterprises. Arthur acquired Beaumont House from his older brother Hosea Guinness. In 1808, the company invested in its first steam engine from Boulton and Watt to assist with water pumping.

Production rose substantially from 360,936 gallons in 1800 to more than 2 million gallons by 1815 but then declined sharply by 1820 due to a downturn in the market. By the late eighteenth century, the brewery had transitioned its focus from ale to porter. During the 1820s, they introduced stronger porter varieties such as "Extra Superior Porter" or "Double Stout," aimed primarily at British export markets. By 1837, Guinness had become widely recognized among Britain’s upper classes.

The brewery enjoyed considerable advantages until the 1830s due to Ireland’s lower malt taxes compared to Britain, which facilitated export growth. Reflecting these business interests, Arthur moved away from his earlier support for Irish home rule and instead endorsed the union later in life.

In 1839, he assisted his nephew John in launching a brief-lived brewery venture in Bristol. At the time of Arthur’s death in 1855, St James's Gate was producing approximately 78,000 hogsheads annually (exceeding four million gallons), with over half of this output exported to Britain.

Philanthropy

Arthur acted as a trustee or patron for numerous organizations including:

• Meath Street Savings Bank
• Catholic Association between 1823 and 1829
• Society for Improving the Condition of the Poor
• Hibernian Bible Society
• The Meath Hospital
• Bethesda Locks Penitentiary on Dorset Street, where both he and his wife served on its Governing Committee
• Subscriber to Nelson's Pillar, constructed between 1808 and 1809

His religious affiliation was with the Low church Anglican tradition.

Banking career

With brewery sales declining by half to around one million gallons annually by 1820, profits from flour milling became essential during the Post-Napoleonic depression. After a fire destroyed the mills in 1806, they were rebuilt; later leased from 1828 and eventually sold in 1838.

Arthur served on the Bank of Ireland's "Court of Directors" from 1804 until 1847 and held the position of Governor between 1820 and 1822. The bank operated out of what had previously been the Irish Houses of Parliament. In 1825, he made an unsuccessful attempt to remove restrictions barring Catholic directors.

He was unanimously elected chairman of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, holding that role from 1826 through to his death in 1855. Additionally, he participated in the Ouzel Galley Society, which focused on resolving business disputes. His memberships also included Dublin Corporation, Dublin Brewers' Guild, and he joined the Royal Dublin Society in 1802.

Despite economic challenges resulting from the Act of Union, post-war recession, aristocratic relocation to London, and currency union difficulties between 1818 and 1826, Guinness retained significant influence within banking circles. His extensive connections enabled him to welcome George IV during the monarch’s visit to Dublin in 1821.

Marriages

On 7 May 1793, Guinness wed Anne Lee at St. Mary's Church, Dublin. Anne (1774–1817) was the daughter of Benjamin Lee, a Dublin-based builder and brickmaker, and Susanna Smyth. Together, they had nine children, among whom were:

• Revd. William S. Guinness (1795–1864), who became a clergyman
• Arthur Lee Guinness (1797–1863), known as an art collector and brewer until 1839
• Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, 1st Baronet (1798–1868), who pursued brewing and served as an MP
• Susanna Guinness (1804–36), who married Revd John Darley
• Elizabeth Guinness (1813–1897), spouse of Revd William Jameson
• Rebecca Guinness (1814–70), who married Sir Edmund Waller (1797–1851)

Arthur remarried in 1821 to Maria Barker; this union produced no offspring.

In 1804, Benjamin, Arthur's brother, married Rebecca Lee, Anne’s sister. Their daughter Susan later wed Arthur’s eldest son William in 1826.

In 1814, Arthur and his brother Hosea sought to register arms inspired by the Gaelic Magennis clan from County Down, which their father had used since 1761. The Deputy Herald Sir William Betham rejected identical arms but approved similar ones with altered colors. Arthur combined these with the heraldic arms of his wife’s family, the Lees.

Business succession

Following the Bread (Ireland) Act of 1838, the family’s flour mill in Kilmainham was sold during the late 1830s. By 1840, Arthur's business partnerships with his brothers had dissolved; his eldest son pursued a clerical career, while his second son—the third Arthur Guinness—resigned from the brewery in 1839 after a brief involvement with Dion Boucicault, who was then employed as a brewery clerk.

Starting in 1839, management of the brewery fell to his third son Benjamin alongside the Purser family, with Arthur—then aged seventy—remaining involved only in key decisions. After Arthur’s death in 1855, Benjamin assumed sole ownership. Later, in 1876, Edward Guinness, Benjamin’s third son, took full control of the business.

Political views

Arthur championed Catholic emancipation from the 1790s but opposed the Society of United Irishmen. Before the 1798 rebellion, he condemned violence from all parties and advocated for Catholic emancipation paired with universal suffrage. In a speech delivered in Dublin in 1797, he urged removing divisions between Protestants and Catholics and called for reforming parliamentary representation.

In 1813, the Dublin Catholic Board recognized Arthur and his brothers for their deserving contributions to Catholic interests. He also backed Henry Grattan’s efforts in 1819. Elected to Dublin Corporation through the Brewers' Guild prior to reforms in 1840, Arthur chose not to pursue a parliamentary seat due to political instability and potential risks for his business.

In 1829, he helped raise £30,000 for Daniel O'Connell during the campaign for Catholic emancipation. By May 1831, he openly supported what became the Reform Act 1832, emphasizing that governments should serve their citizens.

However, by the time of the 1837 election, Arthur had shifted allegiance toward conservative positions and opposed O'Connell’s campaign to repeal the Act of Union. O'Connell disparaged him and his family as unfaithful but acknowledged Arthur as a defender of civil liberties and an opponent of corruption and Orange influence. Relations deteriorated further when O'Connell’s inexperienced son took control of the nearby Phoenix brewery in 1831 but failed within a few years. The O'Connells exited brewing during Father Mathew’s temperance movement by the late 1830s. By 1839, O'Connell privately referred to Arthur as a "miserable old apostate."

Throughout the Great Famine of the 1840s, Arthur encouraged his son Benjamin to contribute generously to relief efforts and expressed his own willingness to provide financial support. The precise scale of their donations remains undocumented. Some food distribution was coordinated late in 1845 by the conservative Second Peel ministry.

Retirement and death

Following a period of notable growth in export activities, Arthur withdrew to Torquay during the 1840s, occasionally traveling back to Dublin. He passed away at Beaumont in 1855 at the age of 87 and was laid to rest in Mount Jerome Cemetery. The funeral featured "mutes carrying wands and mourning insignia." At probate, his net estate was appraised at £180,000.

Reference books

• Hall, FG; The Bank of Ireland 1783–1946. Hodges Figgis (Dublin) and Blackwell's (Oxford) 1948.
• Martelli G. Man of his time. London 1957
• Lynch P. & Vaizey J; Guinness's Brewery in the Irish Economy 1759–1876. Cambridge University Press 1960.
• Wilson D. Dark and Light Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1998
• Hughes D; A Bottle of Guinness Please": The Colourful History of Guinness. Phimboy 2006.
• Guinness P: Arthur's Round Peter Owen, London 2008.
• Joyce J.; The Guinnesses Poolbeg Press, Dublin 2009.