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John Smith

1824 – 1879

English brewer: John Smith's Brewery in North Yorkshire

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About John Smith

Lived 1824 – 1879 (aged 55). John Smith was a British brewmaster, entrepreneur and brewer.

John Smith (18 March 1824 – 9 September 1879) was an English brewer. He is best known for establishing the John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, which continues to operate.

History Smith was born in Leeds on 18 March 1824; the eldest of five children of Samuel Smith, a wealthy butcher and tanner from Leeds.

In 1847 John Smith purchased the Backhouse & Hartley brewery with funding provided by his father. Smith's timing proved fortuitous; pale ales were displacing porter as the public's most popular style of beer, and Tadcaster's hard water proved to be well-suited for brewing the new style. The prosperity of the 1850s and 1860s, together with the arrival of the railways, realised greater opportunities for brewers, and by 1861 Smith employed eight men in his brewing and malting enterprise. Smith died at Tadcaster on 9 September 1879, leaving an estate valued at under , and his assets were jointly inherited by his two brothers, William (a gentleman) and Samuel Smith (a tanner).

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Brewmaster, entrepreneur, brewer

People in John Smith's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Smith's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Smith?

English brewer: John Smith's Brewery in North Yorkshire (1824-1879)

When was John Smith born?

John Smith was born on 18 March 1824 in Leeds.

When did John Smith die?

John Smith died on 9 September 1879 in Tadcaster.

What was John Smith's occupation?

John Smith was a brewmaster, entrepreneur and brewer.

What nationality was John Smith?

John Smith was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Smith

· Wikidata: Q16063470

· DBpedia: John Smith (brewer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Smith. https://biography.guide/john-smith-brewmaster/

MLA: "John Smith." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-smith-brewmaster/.

Chicago: "John Smith." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-smith-brewmaster/.

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