Bateman Family Wainfleet Brewery

Bateman Family Wainfleet Brewery

Written by Angela Gooch on January 15th, 2008 in Family History.

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Although the Bateman surname is connected with Wainfleet and is not strictly ‘Skegness’, I have included it in the research as the family has strong connections with Skegness.

Batemans Real Ale is famous both nationally and internationally, so let’s go back in time to find out more about the family…

…We’re in a little village called Wainfleet All Saints, about five miles from Skegness in Lincolnshire on the east coast.
The date is 21st May 1792 and a young man called Thomas Bateman is marrying his lady, Alice Dickinson in All Saints Church Wainfleet.

Three years later they had a son called Joseph who was baptized in St Mary’s Church in Wainfleet.
On 4th July 1799, a second son, John was baptized in St Mary’s Church, Wainfleet.

The years passed and Joseph found himself a wife. Deborah Gunson. They settled in Wainfleet and produced at least seven children.
John Bateman married Elizabeth Wilkinson at Orby Church on 27th March 1826. The family can be found on the
1841 census A B living in Friskney, John working as a farmer. By this time, the couple had produced six children.

On the 1851 census we can see that three more children were born to John and Elizabeth, Frank, George and Betsy.
John Bateman had expanded his farming business and was now farming ? acres of land and employed two agricultural laborers.

In 1861, John Bateman was turned 60 years old, still a farmer, and still living in Friskney. Son George, now 17 years old, worked on the farm as a ploughman.
John Bateman died in the September quarter of 1866, aged 67.

Son George Bateman acquired a wife in the March quarter of 1867. Her name was Susannah Simpson of Friskney.
George, on the 1871 census, was still farming in Friskney.

We know that his father had died. So where is mother, Elizabeth? She’s living with her daughter Ann and her family in Thorlby.

By 1881 some changes had been made. George and Susannah had move to High Street in Wainfleet. His occupation is now listed as a Brewer and Spirit Merchant.
In fact they sold their farm in Friskney and stated renting a brewery in Wainfleet in 1874.

There is a death record for an Elizabeth Bateman aged 83, in 1887 in the Spilsby Registration District. This, I am 99% sure is our Elizabeth Bateman. However, if this is correct, we should be able to find her on the 1881 census. Alas, she is nowhere to be found in 1881! Ordering this death certificate would resolve this problem.

Let’s look at the 1891 census. George and his wife are still at High Street Wainfleet, still in the business of ‘Spirit Merchant’. They’ve had two children now, Harry is seven and sister Jessie is four years old.

In 1901 , George is 57 years old and is now listed as a Brewer and Employer. His son Harry, now a young man of 17, is a Brewery Worker.

Although we cannot examine further censuses, George Bateman died in 1921 and son Harry took over the business.
Harry Bateman