Arthur Guinness was born on September 28, 1725. His father Richard, who was land steward to the archbishop of Cashel, brewed beer for workers on the estate taught Arthur the craft of brewing. When the archbishop died in 1752, he left 100 pounds each to “his servant” Arthur and his father. Using this initial investment, Arthur Guinness perfected his skills as the brewer at inn owned by his stepmother and eventually managed to rent a small brewery in Leixlip, County Kildare, Ireland.
In 1759, Arthur moved from Leixlip to the capital city of Ireland hoping to expand his business. He found an old dilapidated brewery, named St. James’s Gate Brewery, in the southwest of Dublin. The brewery covered four acres and consisted of a copper, a kieve, a mill, two malthouses, stabling for 12 horses and a loft to hold 200 tons of hay. On December 31, 1759, Guinness managed to get the owner to agree to a to 9,000-years lease! Guinness beer is brewed and can be purchased all over the world but it is still brewed at St. James Gate, and the company still pays 45 pounds in rent each month.
If ANYONE wants to sign a long lease on a traditional brewery. Give me a call. You won’t be sorry!
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 