Sun Brewery, Quayside

William Nixon was the first named brewer here. He died in 1793 and the business continued under his parter Hugh Spencer as Spencer & Nixon. Towards the end of the eighteenth century Matthew Plummer took over. He left brewing in 1813 to follow his other interests including coal, a West India merchant, ship and insurance broker and partner in the Northumberland Flax Mills and St. Lawrence Bottleworks. Thomas Spencer and James Stawpert took over the Sun Brewery. By 1815 the partnership had changed to Thomas Spencer and Thomas Bell, later Thomas Spencer alone. In 1819 the brewery included a double malting, cooperage, counting house, workmen's house and stables. By the early 1820s Thomas and Charles Spencer ran the business.