INDUSTRIES 



shovelled on to it.' The heat was economized 

 by surrounding the pipes through which the 

 spirit passed with non-conducting substances. 

 Pontifex's patent ' condensing box ' was used 

 here, an ingenious vessel in which at the 

 moment of condensation the spirit was made 

 to imbibe the flavour of juniper, aniseed, 

 peppermint and the like, and was again 

 passed off in vapour.* 



The other principal houses in Surrey men- 

 tioned in 1850 as engaged in the processes of 

 re-distilling and flavouring spirits were Sir 

 Robert Burnett & Co. at Vauxhall, John 

 Gaitskell in Bermondsey, and G. W. Gray 

 of Tooley Street, Benjamin George Hodges 

 in Lambeth, William Jackson & Co. of New 

 Street, Dockhead, George & Charles Orme 

 of Blackfriars Road, H. & A. S. Pigeon of 

 the Borough High Street, J. Sinclair & Co. 

 in Lambeth, and Vincent & Pugh in the 

 Borough. 



Compared with the large number of firms 

 who were engaged in 1850 in the distillation 

 of spirituous liquors, the number at the present 

 day similarly engaged is very small. Many 

 of the firms included in the large number of 

 the estimate for the former period were 

 doubtless in a very small way of business, and 

 the decrease is perhaps in some measure to 

 be attributed to a change in the conditions of 

 the industry precisely similar to that which 

 we have had to record in the case of beer 

 brewing. The improvements which science 

 has introduced into the manufacture necessi- 

 tate the use of machinery of the very latest 

 pattern, and permit only of the survival of 

 those houses which can afford a constant out- 

 lay of capital in the equipment of their works. 

 There are perhaps now barely eight firms 

 which are engaged either in the distilling or 

 rectifying of spirits within the area of the 

 ancient county. Of one of these, Messrs. 

 John Watney & Co. of Wandsworth, we 

 have already treated. So far as the rectifying 

 part of their business is concerned, the firm of 



Sir Robert Burnett & Co. at Vauxhall can 

 now claim to be the oldest established in 

 Surrey. As Messrs. Fassett & Burnett it 

 was in existence at least as early as the year 

 1786, and its distillery and vinegar yards, 

 with the place then called Marble Hall and 

 Cumberland Tea-gardens, were supposed by 

 the author of the History of Lambeth to be 

 the site of the capital mansion house which 

 tradition has it that Guy Faux once occupied 

 at Lambeth." Reference is made in 1826 to 

 the extensive character of the distillery of 

 Messrs. Burnett & Co. and to the consider- 

 able number of people to whom they gave 

 employment. Their premises then extended 

 from the road to the riverside.' In 1850 

 Sir Robert Burnett & Co., as we have seen, 

 were one of the principal firms of rectifiers 

 in Surrey. A remarkable feature of the con- 

 stitution of the firm is that now, as in 1850, 

 the partners are all members of the Burnett 

 family. In 1850 they were Messrs. C. F. 

 Burnett, J. F. Burnett, J. R. F. Burnett, 

 G. R. Burnett and C. D. Burnett. At the 

 present time Messrs. C. F. Burnett and G. R. 

 Burnett still remain and have been joined in 

 partnership by Messrs. F. C. Burnett, G. A. 

 Burnett and D. Burnett.* Besides itsvinegar, 

 with which we deal more particularly below, 

 the firm has made a speciality of the prepara- 

 tion of gin, but manufactures also bitters, 

 cherry brandy, cordials, whisky, brandy and 

 wines, and in short every article which is 

 usually supplied by the spirit rectifier. 



Other rectifying firms now in Lambeth 

 are Messrs. Daun & Vallentin, who are the 

 makers of Orme's gin, and are also brandy 

 distillers and wine merchants, and Mr. 

 Sydney Jousiffe at Kennington Park. There 

 are firms of distillers at Bermondsey, Camber- 

 well, Croydon and Kingston. The distilling 

 of perfumes is carried on by the London 

 Essence Co. at Camberwell, and that of 

 lavender and peppermint at Messrs. Jakson's 

 steam distilleries at Croydon. 



VINEGAR AND BRITISH WINES 



The manufacture of malt vinegar has for 

 over two hundred years been one of the most 

 important industries carried on in the metro- 

 politan parts of Surrey. In 1850 more than 

 half of the total amount made in England 

 was made in Surrey chiefly by four great 

 firms, namely : Charles & W. Pott of South- 

 wark, Sir Robert Burnett at Vauxhall, Henry 

 Beaufoy at South Lambeth, and Slee, Payne 



1 Brayley and Britton, Hist. ofSurr. v. App. 21. 23. 



397 



& Slee of Horsleydown.^ With the excep- 

 tion of the former firm, whose business has 

 only recently been incorporated with that of 

 Messrs. Beaufoy & Co., these firms are still 

 in existence and in the enjoyment of large 



2 Nichols, Hist, of Lambeth, 95. 



3 Allen, Hist, of Lambeth, 368. 

 * Ex inf. Sir R. Burnett & Co. 

 6 Brayley and Britton, Hist, of Suir. v. App. 



