Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Charles Wells (13 August 1842 – 1 April 1914) was the British founder of

Charles Wells Ltd Wells & Co. (formerly Charles Wells Ltd) is the holding company of the Charles Wells Brewery and Pub Company (a pub chain). Charles Wells Ltd was founded in 1876 by Charles Wells (brewer), Charles Wells in Bedford, England. The Charles Wells Pub ...

, which became the largest privately owned

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...

in the United Kingdom, and the

progenitor In genealogy, a progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; or ''Ahnherr'') is the founder (sometimes one that is legendary) of a family, line of descent, gens, clan, tribe, noble house, or ethnic group.. Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines Geschlec ...

of the

Wells Baronets There have been three baronetcies created for persons with the surname Wells, all in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Two of the creations are extinct. *The Wells baronetcy of Upper Grosvenor Street in the County of London, was created in th ...

Felmersham Felmersham is a small village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, England, on the River Great Ouse, about north west of Bedford. As a civil parish, it includes the hamlet of Radwell, Bedfordsh ...

Life

Wells was born on 13 August 1842, the second son of George Wells, a cabinetmaker. He left

Bedford Modern School Bedford Modern School (often called BMS or simply Modern) is a Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference independent school in Bedford, England. The school has its origins in Bedford Charity, The Harpur Trust, born from the financial endowme ...

at the age of fourteen and went to sea, ‘signing up with the shipping company Wigrams as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

on the frigate Devonshire’. Wells was made a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 16 December 1868 and offered command of Wigrams's first

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

. While on leave in the early 1870s, Wells became engaged to Josephine Grimbly of

Banbury Banbury is an historic market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. The parish had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

. Josephine's father, although in favour of the match, said that ‘Charles Wells must leave the sea and find a new and less dangerous career’. In 1872 Charles and Josephine married; they had five sons (one of whom, Richard Wells, was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

) and three daughters. In 1876, Wells became a brewer when he took over a coal wharf, a

malt house A malt house, malt barn, or maltings, is a building where cereal grain is converted into malt by soaking it in water, allowing it to sprout and then drying it to stop further growth. The malt is used in brewing beer, whisky and in certain foo ...

and

in Horne Lane,

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

, and thirty five public houses, sold to him at public auction in December 1875. He subsequently sold off the coal business. In 1903, Wells became a member of

Bedford Borough Council Bedford Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Bedford, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. The town of Bedford was a borough from at least the 12th century until 1974, when the moder ...

, which he served until 1909. Four of Charles's sons became partners in the brewery on condition that they live in Wells's native town of

. In 1910, the business was registered as a private limited company, valued at £150,000 and owning 140 pubs. Charles Wells died in

on 1 April 1914. He is buried at the Foster Hill Cemetery, a few metres east of the chapel.

References

1842 births 1914 deaths People educated at Bedford Modern School People from Bedford 19th-century English businesspeople Burials in Bedfordshire {{beer-stub