Alfred Barnard
Encyclopedia
Alfred Barnard was a British
brewing and distilling historian
.
family in Thaxted
, a rural village in Essex
, England
. His was one of eight children. His father was a draper
and grocer
.
In 1859, aged 22 he married Fanny Ruffle, also aged 22. At this time Alfred is thought to have been a grocer and residing in Kensington
. They had two daughters, Theodora and Edith, and one son, Harold. Barnard is described on the respective birth certificates as a toilet soap exporter, then a merchant and finally as a gentleman. Different address are given on the certificates, ranging from Islington
in 1861, to the Cavendish Square
area in 1869.
While in the 1881 they are listed as living near Dulwich
, London
. Curiously, Barnard does not appear on the 1901 census.
As secretary of Harper's Weekly Gazette, he visited every working whisky distillery in Great Britain
and Ireland
from 1885-1887. In all, he visited an incredible 162 distilleries; 129 in Scotland, 29 in Ireland and 4 in England. The result of which was the monumental 500 page The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom
, covering in depth technical information on the distilleries along with sketches and engravings. Of the original print, only a small number of copies survive to this day, some in presentation binding (leather) but most in a green cloth binding. Copies of the first edition have changed hands for £2,500. However, a facsimile
copy was published in 1987, and has been reprinted three times since. This book has been referred to as possibly the most important book written on whisky.
Many of the distilleries Barnard visited have since closed, and in most cases, especially in Ireland, the buildings themselves have disappeared.
Following publication of his distillery book he was commissioned by various distilling companies to produce promotional pamphlets. Six are known, though all are very rare. They are: "How to blend Scotch Whisky" for Mackie & Co and pamphlets on Pattison's/Glenfarclas, Johnnie Walker, Watson's of Dundee, the Highland Distillers and Dalmore distillery. The Mackie volume has been reprinted in facsimile and there are plans to reprint all 6 pamphlets in time.
Following the success of The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, Barnard undertook a similar tour in 1889-1891 visiting over 110 breweries in Great Britain
and Ireland
. The end product of this tour was The noted breweries of Great Britain and Ireland, published over three years and in four volumes. They give a great description of the scale of industry at the time and also some biographies on some of the distinguished families involved, such as the Guinnesses
. Again, promotional pamphlets were produced though unlike Barnard's whisky pamphlets, which were new and original works, these appear simply to be facsimile reprints of the relevant entry in the main volumes. In any event, the entries in Noted Breweries are generally far more extensive than those in his Distilleries volume.
He died in Croydon
, South London
in 1918, aged 81.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
brewing and distilling historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
.
Life and work
According to the limited family records available, Barnard was born in 1837 into a BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
family in Thaxted
Thaxted
Thaxted is a town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, with about 2,500 inhabitants.-History:Thaxted appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Tachesteda, Old English for "place where thatch was got." Once a centre of cutlery manufacture, Thaxted went into decline with the rise of Sheffield...
, a rural village in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His was one of eight children. His father was a draper
Draper
Draper is the now largely obsolete term for a wholesaler, or especially retailer, of cloth, mainly for clothing, or one who works in a draper's shop. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. The drapers were an important trade guild...
and grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
.
In 1859, aged 22 he married Fanny Ruffle, also aged 22. At this time Alfred is thought to have been a grocer and residing in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
. They had two daughters, Theodora and Edith, and one son, Harold. Barnard is described on the respective birth certificates as a toilet soap exporter, then a merchant and finally as a gentleman. Different address are given on the certificates, ranging from Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
in 1861, to the Cavendish Square
Cavendish Square
Cavendish Square is a public square in the West End of London, very close to Oxford Circus, where the two main shopping thoroughfares of Oxford Street and Regent Street meet. It is located at the eastern end of Wigmore Street, which connects it to Portman Square, part of the Portman Estate, to its...
area in 1869.
While in the 1881 they are listed as living near Dulwich
Dulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Curiously, Barnard does not appear on the 1901 census.
As secretary of Harper's Weekly Gazette, he visited every working whisky distillery in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
from 1885-1887. In all, he visited an incredible 162 distilleries; 129 in Scotland, 29 in Ireland and 4 in England. The result of which was the monumental 500 page The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom
The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom
The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom is a book originally published in 1887. It was the result of a two year tour of Scotland, Ireland and England by Alfred Barnard, in which he visited an incredible 162 whisky distilleries....
, covering in depth technical information on the distilleries along with sketches and engravings. Of the original print, only a small number of copies survive to this day, some in presentation binding (leather) but most in a green cloth binding. Copies of the first edition have changed hands for £2,500. However, a facsimile
Facsimile
A facsimile is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of reproduction by attempting to replicate the source as accurately as possible in terms of scale,...
copy was published in 1987, and has been reprinted three times since. This book has been referred to as possibly the most important book written on whisky.
Many of the distilleries Barnard visited have since closed, and in most cases, especially in Ireland, the buildings themselves have disappeared.
Following publication of his distillery book he was commissioned by various distilling companies to produce promotional pamphlets. Six are known, though all are very rare. They are: "How to blend Scotch Whisky" for Mackie & Co and pamphlets on Pattison's/Glenfarclas, Johnnie Walker, Watson's of Dundee, the Highland Distillers and Dalmore distillery. The Mackie volume has been reprinted in facsimile and there are plans to reprint all 6 pamphlets in time.
Following the success of The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, Barnard undertook a similar tour in 1889-1891 visiting over 110 breweries in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The end product of this tour was The noted breweries of Great Britain and Ireland, published over three years and in four volumes. They give a great description of the scale of industry at the time and also some biographies on some of the distinguished families involved, such as the Guinnesses
Guinness family
The Guinness family is an extensive aristocratic Irish Protestant family noted for their accomplishments in brewing, banking, politics and religious ministry...
. Again, promotional pamphlets were produced though unlike Barnard's whisky pamphlets, which were new and original works, these appear simply to be facsimile reprints of the relevant entry in the main volumes. In any event, the entries in Noted Breweries are generally far more extensive than those in his Distilleries volume.
He died in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, South London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1918, aged 81.