George Hayne
Encyclopedia
George Hayne was a merchant and entrepreneur who was responsible for the creation of the Trent Navigation
in England and hence the development of Burton upon Trent
as the pre-eminent beer brewing and exporting town.
Hayne was the son of John and Elizabeth Hayne of Ashbourne Green at Ashbourne, Derbyshire
, and was originally a merchant at Wirksworth
. In 1711, he obtained the lease of rights to undertake the Trent Navigation from Lord Paget
. Paget had revived a scheme to make the River Trent navigable between Burton and Wilden Ferry, in Castle Donington
. Paget was named as undertaker in an Act of 1699, which empowered a toll of up to three pence per ton and authorised a levy of £600 from the inhabitants of Burton, but by 1711 had made little progress.
Hayne was to pay £10 a year for the 31-year lease and went into partnership with Leonard Fosbrooke, a carrier based at Wilden Ferry. He set about quickly creating and opening the navigation and by 1713 had built a warehouse near Burton Bridge. He leased part of Burton-on-Trent Abbey
to construct a wharf and extended the navigation to there.
The Trent navigation was opened for general merchandise and trade, giving a direct navigation route for large boats to Kingston upon Hull
on the east coast and onwards by the coastal route to London and across the North Sea
to countries bordering the Baltic Sea
. The opportunities provided by a relatively gentle way of transporting of bottles of ale, were not missed by the brewers of Burton
whose ale already had a high reputation.The earliest commercial breweries were set up in the High Street and Horninglow Street specifically to be near the river. An extensive timber trade also developed using the boats returning from the Baltic.
Hayne, with his partner, operated the navigation as a strongly defended monopoly, causing discontent among merchants and encouraging interloping. He died in 1723 and the lease, and the navigation rights passed to his brother Henry and business was continued as the "Burton Boat Company". After the opening of the Trent and Mersey Canal
and the Napoleonic blockade of Continental trade the Boat Company were unable to compete and closed the navigation in 1805.
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
in England and hence the development of Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
as the pre-eminent beer brewing and exporting town.
Hayne was the son of John and Elizabeth Hayne of Ashbourne Green at Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.- Local customs :...
, and was originally a merchant at Wirksworth
Wirksworth
Wirksworth is a small market town in Derbyshire, England, with a population of over 9,000.The population of the Wirksworth area including Cromford, Bolehill and Middleton-by-Wirksworth is about 12,000. Wirksworth is listed in the Domesday Book in 1086. Within it is the source of the River...
. In 1711, he obtained the lease of rights to undertake the Trent Navigation from Lord Paget
William Paget, 6th Baron Paget
William Paget, 6th Baron Paget was an English peer and Ambassador.Paget was English ambassador to Vienna between 1689 and 1692 and Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople between 1692 and 1702, during which time he was central to the negotiation of the Treaty of Carlowitz between the...
. Paget had revived a scheme to make the River Trent navigable between Burton and Wilden Ferry, in Castle Donington
Castle Donington
Castle Donington is a village, with a population of around 7000 in the North West of Leicestershire, part of the Derby postcode area and on the edge of the National Forest. It is the closest town to East Midlands Airport.-Transport and housing:...
. Paget was named as undertaker in an Act of 1699, which empowered a toll of up to three pence per ton and authorised a levy of £600 from the inhabitants of Burton, but by 1711 had made little progress.
Hayne was to pay £10 a year for the 31-year lease and went into partnership with Leonard Fosbrooke, a carrier based at Wilden Ferry. He set about quickly creating and opening the navigation and by 1713 had built a warehouse near Burton Bridge. He leased part of Burton-on-Trent Abbey
Burton-on-Trent Abbey
Burton Abbey at Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire, England, was originally founded in the 7th or 9th century by St Modwen or Modwenna; and later refounded in 1003 as a Benedictine abbey by Wulfric Spott, a thegn possibly descended from King Alfred...
to construct a wharf and extended the navigation to there.
The Trent navigation was opened for general merchandise and trade, giving a direct navigation route for large boats to Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
on the east coast and onwards by the coastal route to London and across the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
to countries bordering the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. The opportunities provided by a relatively gentle way of transporting of bottles of ale, were not missed by the brewers of Burton
Brewers of Burton
Burton upon Trent had a unique position in the history of brewing, exporting beer throughout the world and accounting for a quarter of UK beer production at one time; emulation of Burton water is a prevalent brewing technique called Burtonisation. The town itself was dominated by the industry...
whose ale already had a high reputation.The earliest commercial breweries were set up in the High Street and Horninglow Street specifically to be near the river. An extensive timber trade also developed using the boats returning from the Baltic.
Hayne, with his partner, operated the navigation as a strongly defended monopoly, causing discontent among merchants and encouraging interloping. He died in 1723 and the lease, and the navigation rights passed to his brother Henry and business was continued as the "Burton Boat Company". After the opening of the Trent and Mersey Canal
Trent and Mersey Canal
The Trent and Mersey Canal is a in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and North West of England. It is a "narrow canal" for the vast majority of its length, but at the extremities—east of Burton upon Trent and west of Middlewich—it is a wide canal....
and the Napoleonic blockade of Continental trade the Boat Company were unable to compete and closed the navigation in 1805.