Cecil Ernest Wells Charrington
Cecil Ernest Wells Charrington | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | October 24, 1962 (aged 77) |
| Occupation | Brewing industry leader |
| Known for | Chairman of Charrington and Co., President of the Institute of Brewing |
Cecil Ernest Wells Charrington, MC, JP (31 March 1885 – 24 October 1962) was a prominent English brewing industry leader who held the position of Chairman at Charrington and Co. for 26 years and served twice as President of the Institute of Brewing.
Life
Cecil Ernest Wells Charrington was born on 31 March 1885 as the sole son of Ernest Charrington and Joanna Margaret, whose father was the portrait artist Henry Tanworth Wells. In 1919, he wed Dorothy Mary Cecilia Jameson, with whom he had three children: one son and two daughters.
His education comprised attendance at Eton College from 1898 to 1904, followed by studies at New College, Oxford, where he completed a second-class honours degree in Modern History in 1908. The family brewery was established in 1757 by his ancestor John Charrington, evolving into Charrington and Company Limited by the early twentieth century. Cecil dedicated nearly five decades as a director before stepping down in 1960. His professional path was interrupted by military service during the First World War with the South Staffordshire Regiment, where he sustained injuries and received the Military Cross in 1918.
In 1923, he assumed the role of Chairman at Charrington's, a position he held until his retirement in 1949. His influential roles within the brewing sector included serving as Master of the Brewers' Company in 1930, Chairman of the Brewers' Society in 1933, and holding the presidency of the Institute of Brewing twice, in 1937 and again in 1944. While president, he personally financed the acquisition of a grant of arms for the Institute and acted as Trustee between 1941 and 1950. He was instrumental in establishing the Brewing Industry Research Foundation and oversaw the relocation of Institute headquarters. Additional leadership appointments encompassed President of the London Central Board (1928 and 1946), Licensed Victuallers' School (1928–29), Beer and Wine Trade Benevolent Society (1936), and Licensed Victuallers National Homes (1938).
Beyond his professional commitments, Charrington engaged actively with charitable organizations and fulfilled duties as a Justice of the Peace. His obituary commemorated him as "tireless," "a stimulating and staunch friend," and "a man of outstanding courage." He passed away on 24 October 1962, leaving behind his wife and children.
Likenesses
- Cecil Ernest Wells Charrington photographed by Bassano Ltd (half-plate film negative), dated 8 January 1948. Held at the National Portrait Gallery, London (Photographs Collection, NPG x71765; gifted by Bassano & Vandyk Studios in 1974).