Brewer and Benefactor to Fazeley
The brewer whose named has survived longest is James Eadie, although his brewery was to be found in Cross Street, Burton on Trent, from where he supplied his thirty two outlets with fine pale ale. These outlets once included most, if not all, of the pubs in Fazeley, and certainly the Red Lion, the Three Tuns, the Plough and Harrow, the White Lion and Mile Oak Hotel.
James Eadie was a Scotsman from Blackford in Perthshire who came to Fazeley in 1842 to work with his uncle in the tea trade. Later he branched out, and began supplying malt to the brewers of Burton, making weekly journeys to deliver his product.
In 1854 Eadie moved to Burton having decided to go into the brewing trade himself, recognising the nation-wide possibilities in the supply of pale ale. He bought land in Cross Street, built his brewery, and started to make very good quality pale ale. As the years went by he amassed a considerable fortune, so much so that, when he died (24th June 1904)he left his Scottish estate of 7,000 acres and his personal fortune of £32,396, while his gross estate was valued at £337,966. Further, when the brewery and its outlets were sold to Bass in 1933, they were valued at £678,752. Fazeley benefited from Eadie’s wealth by his help in paying for the Methodist Chapel and by the provision of the Parish Hall.
Fazeley Town Council 