Seth Senior & Sons Ltd
Seth Senior & Sons Ltd, Highfield Brewery, Lane Head, Penistone Road, Shepley, West Yorkshire.
Origins in 1829 as the Sovereign Inn, 1846 Seth Senior.
Registered January 1910.
Acquired by Hammond's United Breweries Ltd. November 1946 with 99 tied houses.
List of Seth Senior & Sons Ltd. pubs
Roger Armitage writes:-
The Sovereign Inn, formerly "The Royal Sovereign Inn" this was the site of Seth Senior's brewery, established in 1829. Seth was a stone mason and lived in one of the cottages in the block now forming the inn. He was said to have established the business, in his own cottage at first, with a single gold sovereign he had borrowed. The resulting beers were called "Sovereign Ales" and were awarded many prizes through the years. Another brew was known as " Senior's Stingo".
The cask beers were delivered by horse and dray. Later the brewery was moved a short distance to Piper Wells, just off the Holmfirth road, as it expanded, and Seth's sons, Reuben and James, joined the business and were gradually taken into partnership. Eventually, the brewery owned 134 public houses in the area, including "The Farmer's Boy" in Shepley. The company also owned its own gasworks, maltings, bore hole for its water supply and its own railway siding. After Reuben's death, his sons Henry and Thomas became partners. The Senior family built Cliffe House in the village and owned a shooting lodge and acres of moorland.
In 1929 the famous "Sovereign Anthem" was written to celebrate the brewery's centenary, and the much praised "Century Ales" produced, at which time the Roebuck family were tenants at "The Sovereign". In November 1946 the brewery was taken over by Hammonds Brewery of Lockwood. At that time it had 99 tied public houses. This ended the connection between the Senior family and Shepley, although Seth and other members of the family are buried in Upper Cumberworth churchyard.
A stone carving of a man's face can be found on the eastern gable of the inn. Apparently, it is an old Yorkshire tradition to commemorate any builder killed during construction in this way.
The inn is also said to be haunted by two ghosts - a white lady said to be Elizabeth Smith, mother of Sarah Jane Roebuck, a lady well respected for her benevolence during her lifetime. Sarah Jane was the last Roebuck to live at "The Sovereign". The other ghost is said to be that of a drunken customer who fell down the cellar steps and broke his neck in 1965, having mistaken the door for the one leading to the bar.
In April 1866 an accident occurred at Seth Senior's brewery nearby when Matthew Booth, a brewer and long time employee, climbed a ladder to put a strap on an engine drive. His apron caught around the shaft pulling him in. His clothing was badly torn but he managed to escape with his life. He was taken home and attended by Mr Whitehead, surgeon. He suffered a cut to his forehead, a broken right arm and bruised ribs.
Two dramatic incidents involving the pub took place in November 1864. On the 10th an employee of the brewery, a middle aged man named Allen Hirst was accidentally thrown from his cart and died two days later of his injuries. Then, just a few days later, a frenzied attempt was made on the life of the owner, Mr Seth Senior, by a disgruntled man named Alfred Ives. Two years previously Mr Senior had employed Ives during harvest time, but, not being satisfied with his work, had dismissed him. There followed a dispute about wages, with Mr Senior refusing to pay, and Ives had borne a grudge ever since. Seeing Mr Senior at the inn, Ives suddenly grabbed a knife and tried to stab him. There was much commotion and someone managed to knock the knife from Ives' hand with a poker. Ives then produced a second knife and made a further attempt to stab Senior. Ives was again disarmed and restrained until P.C. Chappell arrived to convey him to the Skelmanthorpe lock-up. Ives continued to issue threats against Senior as he left.
An advert from 1900
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