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Alma Pub

58 Russell Street, The Alma brewery

History of 58 Russell Street

1835: earliest mention of public house here. John Carroll from St Neots purchased land in Balls Folly Field, the site of Russell Street, to build a brewery.

1838: supplied 3 barrels for the Coronation Feast

1851: John Carroll, Beer Retailer (Gardner’s)

1852: John Carroll,  Beer Retailer (Slater’s)

1854: Romilly records in his diary 2nd October: the news has arrived of a great victory gained by the English and French in the Crimea over the Russians: it is expected that Sebastopol must have been taken also. The bells rung all day, and there were squibs and bonfires at night on Parkers Piece. Began fires in College. Romilly’s editor notes: despite the defeat of the Russian forces at the Alma on 24th September allied commanders failed to press home their advantage. Sevastopol held firm through a frightful winter for its besiegers and was not taken until September 1855.

1859: John Carroll died. Mary, his wife, took over.

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1861:

Mary Carroll, Proprietor of Brewer, widow, 64, b Norfolk
George Carroll, son, Brewer, 20, b Cambridge

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1866: land behind the existing brewery buildings and fronting onto Norwich Street was purchased. Brewery was built on Norwich Street Street and the property facing Russell Street became brewer’s house and a brewery tap.

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1868: george Carroll, son of John and Mary, took over the brewery.

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1881: George Carroll (Spalding’s)

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1887: George Scales took over the lease

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1888: George Scales (Kellys)

1892: George Scales jun (Kellys)

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1892: lease taken over by brother, Albert Samborne Scales.

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1896: Daniel Martin Hayward  (Kellys)

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1898: lease taken over by George Scales senior, owner of the Cambridge Brewery.

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1900: brewery sold to Robert Brassey Jones.Extended the business and took on additional pubs.

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1901: The Alma

John G C Moden, 31, publican,  b Cambridge

Emily J, 29, b Cambridge

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1904: Daniel Martin Hayward (Kellys)

1909: brewing ceases on site

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1911: (58)

George Herbert Watts, 44, licensed victualler, b Cambridge

Hannah, 39, assisting with business, b Birmingham

Walter William, 18, insurance clerk, b Surrey

Louisa Amelia, 10, b Cambridge

Ruth Alice Gillet, servant, 15, b London

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1913: H S Thompson

1916: Elijah Fletcher (Kellys)

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1926: site sold to ‘Tolly’ of Ipswich. Brewery tap in Russell street remained in use as a pub, but the brewery became a fruit store and then a sweet factory.

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1935: Elijah Fletcher (Kellys)

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1962 – 2018:

The Alma P H

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Further information about the Alma can be found here.

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20/7/1982: The Alma Brewery in Russell Court is reopening as a free house under the control of CAMRA. The pub, which dates back to 1835, was one of the first buildings to be erected in the former Balls Folly Field. It took its name from the Battle of the Alma in the Crimean War. Brewing stopped in 1909 but it continued to be run as a pub until it closed in March. (Cambridge News)

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