"Watneys" redirects here. For the brewing company and its beers, see Watney Combe & Reid.
James Watney (18 December 1800[1] 16 March 1884[2]) was an English brewer and landowner who resided at Haling Park, Croydon, and Beddington, Surrey. He was born to Daniel Watney (1771–1831) of Mitcham, Surrey and Mary Galpin (1771–1830), daughter of James Galpin (died 1789) of Mitcham, Surrey. He was the grandson of John Watney (1747–1814) and great-grandson of Daniel Watney (1705–1780) of Wimbledon, Surrey who was an ale conner.
The Watney family were the main partners in the Stag Brewery of Pimlico for much of the 19th century.[3] In 1837, James Watney became a partner in the brewery with John Lettsom Elliot and Charles Lambert, as later did his sons James and Norman in 1856.[3] The brewery was known as Elliot, Watney & Co from about 1849. John L Elliot withdrew from the business in 1850, and for 8 years remained a partner in name only. He finally retired in 1858 and the firm became known as James Watney & Co. James Watney then kept the management almost entirely to himself until his death, at well over eighty years, in 1884. After his death in 1884, Watney & Co Ltd became a private limited company in 1885.[3][4]
The east window in Emmanuel Church, Croydon was given by his son Norman in 1899 to the Glory of God and in loving memory of his parents James and Rebecca Watney. It was destroyed by enemy action in 1944 and replaced in 1954.
One of his daughters, also called Rebecca, founded a mission chapel in Croydon and another at Horsell in Surrey after moving to nearby Woking in 1893. The Horsell chapel, opened in 1900, became Horsell Evangelical Church.[14]
He was also uncle to John Watney who was secretary to the Mercers Company for many years.
^Janes, Hurford (1963) The Red Barrel – a History of Watney Mann –- Published by John Murray
^London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Saviour, Southwark, Register of marriages, P92/SAV, Item 3050/001
^Spurrell, J. C., The life of Charles Spurrell and his family's links to the Watney and Gray brewing families, Brewery History No. 138 (December 2010)
^Anglican Parish Registers. Woking, Surrey, England: Surrey History Centre.
^ abGeneral Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office
^ abChurch of England Parish Registers, 1754–1921. London Metropolitan Archives, London.
^Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. London, England
^Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles. Armorial Families: A Directory of Some Gentlemen of Coat-Armour, Showing Which Arms in Use at the Moment are Borne by Legal Authority. London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland: T.C. & E.C. Jack, 1899.
