Poet and Brewer: Ernest Throgemorton
Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:56 pm
Poet and Brewer: Ernest Throgemorton
Now Ernest Throgemorton ancestors were aristocracy, his Great Grandfather was Viscount Vickery of the great English Empire gin distilling business in Dumbleton, a city nestled in the Juniper dales of Yorkshire, they also had great Apple orchards for the brewing of cider. Ernie’s father was however cut off from the family fortune when he opened a brewery in Liverpool; he was seen to have lowered the Vickery family status and was banished to Australia.
Which actually, was very fortunate, in a way, because Ernie and his family ended up in Ballarat, Victoria. And even more fortunate was the fact that the family arrived, slap bang in the middle of the gold rush. An aside, Ernie (his father, all first born sons were called Ernest), his father opened a brewery named ‘Ernest Throgemorton’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer.’ The brew was an instant success because the alcoholic content of the beer was 47% per volume. What the public did not realise is, Throgemortons beer was brewed with malt and hops, there was no root ginger in the brew at all; the ‘gin’ part in the name referred to ‘Juniper’ the basic ingredient of the, spirit gin’ and it was gin that was added to the vat after the brewing process had been completed. The secret of course was, and the was joke on them, his family back in the old dart thought that Ernie’s father had a victualing spirits business, and they were exporting hogsheads of semi-refined gin (the gin was a yellowish colour not clear) at three shillings a barrel. You ask why not sell gin and forget about brewing beer? The answer is simple: excise. The excise on a gallon of gin was one shilling and eight pence, in contrast, the excise on two gallons of beer was a half-penny. Though, to make a killing, Throgemorton built a distillery at the back of the brewery and re-refined some gin, with an additive, clothes washing ‘blue-o’ that changed the colour of the spirit to silvery blue. Throgemortons Gin was a favourite in the shanties, a nip was called, a threepenny ‘Sky Blue.’ Though, nothing sold as well as ‘T,s’ ginger beer.
Now I’ll let you into a secret. Who do you think’s beverages were an inducement for miners rights— the Eureka Stockade.’ Yep! You have picked it in one—‘Throgemortons.’
Anyway, the family that were kicked out of England became very rich Australians. The demise, (the passing) of Ernest senior was a stroke of bad luck. One evening after a prolonged session on, sky blues, an inebriated Ernie senior donned fingerless mittens and opened, Throgemorton’s bank vault. After entering the vault; he was in highly elated mental state. He started waltzing, turning, and raising his arms, spun around and around singing at the top of his voice, ‘all mine, all mine.’ When he crashed very heavily into a row of shelves; inadvertently upending a three hundred weight bag full of gold bars that caved in the top of his head.
From thereon in the world, so to speak, was Ernie junior’s oyster.
The year was 1907, and Ernie had amassed, millions and millions of pounds. Ernie was so rich he could have bought with cash Liechtenstein. Then one day, Ernie in a droll mood, all alone, in the great-dining room, of his property ‘Thogemore Hall,’ drinking with the flies, mused whilst starting a fire with a couple of tenners and fivers in the great fire-place ‘how can I waste my fortune.’
Then it came to him ‘like a stampede in a stable.’
I’ll write poetry.
Ernie’s girlfriend, was a good looker, Nellie Niechenhouser, of the well connected, Niechenhouser’s.
A first verse of Ernie’s My Love for Nellie Returns as a Fly Blown Boomerang
My love is true to you sweet Nellie.
My love is pure, sincere, and neat.
And falls down as a boomerang at your feet.
Though, sorrow fills me heart and belly;
when you return it with maggoty meat.
Needless to say, Ernest Throgemorton, was declared bankrupt in 1909.
John Macleod©
Not to be produced in any form without permission. ©
Now Ernest Throgemorton ancestors were aristocracy, his Great Grandfather was Viscount Vickery of the great English Empire gin distilling business in Dumbleton, a city nestled in the Juniper dales of Yorkshire, they also had great Apple orchards for the brewing of cider. Ernie’s father was however cut off from the family fortune when he opened a brewery in Liverpool; he was seen to have lowered the Vickery family status and was banished to Australia.
Which actually, was very fortunate, in a way, because Ernie and his family ended up in Ballarat, Victoria. And even more fortunate was the fact that the family arrived, slap bang in the middle of the gold rush. An aside, Ernie (his father, all first born sons were called Ernest), his father opened a brewery named ‘Ernest Throgemorton’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer.’ The brew was an instant success because the alcoholic content of the beer was 47% per volume. What the public did not realise is, Throgemortons beer was brewed with malt and hops, there was no root ginger in the brew at all; the ‘gin’ part in the name referred to ‘Juniper’ the basic ingredient of the, spirit gin’ and it was gin that was added to the vat after the brewing process had been completed. The secret of course was, and the was joke on them, his family back in the old dart thought that Ernie’s father had a victualing spirits business, and they were exporting hogsheads of semi-refined gin (the gin was a yellowish colour not clear) at three shillings a barrel. You ask why not sell gin and forget about brewing beer? The answer is simple: excise. The excise on a gallon of gin was one shilling and eight pence, in contrast, the excise on two gallons of beer was a half-penny. Though, to make a killing, Throgemorton built a distillery at the back of the brewery and re-refined some gin, with an additive, clothes washing ‘blue-o’ that changed the colour of the spirit to silvery blue. Throgemortons Gin was a favourite in the shanties, a nip was called, a threepenny ‘Sky Blue.’ Though, nothing sold as well as ‘T,s’ ginger beer.
Now I’ll let you into a secret. Who do you think’s beverages were an inducement for miners rights— the Eureka Stockade.’ Yep! You have picked it in one—‘Throgemortons.’
Anyway, the family that were kicked out of England became very rich Australians. The demise, (the passing) of Ernest senior was a stroke of bad luck. One evening after a prolonged session on, sky blues, an inebriated Ernie senior donned fingerless mittens and opened, Throgemorton’s bank vault. After entering the vault; he was in highly elated mental state. He started waltzing, turning, and raising his arms, spun around and around singing at the top of his voice, ‘all mine, all mine.’ When he crashed very heavily into a row of shelves; inadvertently upending a three hundred weight bag full of gold bars that caved in the top of his head.
From thereon in the world, so to speak, was Ernie junior’s oyster.
The year was 1907, and Ernie had amassed, millions and millions of pounds. Ernie was so rich he could have bought with cash Liechtenstein. Then one day, Ernie in a droll mood, all alone, in the great-dining room, of his property ‘Thogemore Hall,’ drinking with the flies, mused whilst starting a fire with a couple of tenners and fivers in the great fire-place ‘how can I waste my fortune.’
Then it came to him ‘like a stampede in a stable.’
I’ll write poetry.
Ernie’s girlfriend, was a good looker, Nellie Niechenhouser, of the well connected, Niechenhouser’s.
A first verse of Ernie’s My Love for Nellie Returns as a Fly Blown Boomerang
My love is true to you sweet Nellie.
My love is pure, sincere, and neat.
And falls down as a boomerang at your feet.
Though, sorrow fills me heart and belly;
when you return it with maggoty meat.
Needless to say, Ernest Throgemorton, was declared bankrupt in 1909.
John Macleod©
Not to be produced in any form without permission. ©