sites.google.com/view/dibb-wattanars - Emanuel Dibb, a pioneer of Hull’s Brewing business, and his children

Emanuel Dibb, a pioneer of Hull’s Brewing business, Kingston upon Hull, and his children

Emanuel Dibb, a son of Joseph Dibb (1763-1834), was born in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, in 1794. His surname was originally associated with the county of Yorkshire, which dates back to the middle of fifteenth century. Emanuel married his 28-year-old bride, Margaret, a daughter of William Todd (1761-1828), in Hull on June 1^st, 1820. He lived in a house with an orchard on Green Lane.

Emanuel established his brewery at 43 Mill Lane (now Mill Street) behind the present infirmary. It was known that the brewery was horse powered at first. His brewery was the beginning of the Hull Breweries in the later years.

A marble bust of Colonel William Thomas Dibb, wearing an unbuttoned jacket, waistcoat, shirt and cravat on a circular marble base, with an inscribed plaque located in the Guildhall - Ante Room (Council Chamber) as part of the Hull Museum’s Collections. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Dibb)

Emanuel's eldest son, William Thomas Dibb, was born on December 9^th1822 in Hull. He was married to Mary Ann who tragically died on December 3^rd, 1847 at the age of 26. He was remarried to 20-year-old Caroline Sarah, a daughter of William Knocker (1795-1882) in 1848. The couple had nine children together namely: Arthur Knocker, Oscar Knocker, Clara, Augusta, Ada Caroline, Caroline, William Knocker, Emily, and Florence.

William Thomas, like his father, was a brewer. In 1846 he went into a partnership with Robert Ward Gleadow and formed Gleadow, Dibb and Co.. This company built a new brewery on Silvester St., which eventually morphed into the Hull Brewery Company Limited in 1887.

William Thomas was a notable gentleman and a great benefactor to The Hull Charterhouse as mentioned in its history.[i] He was also a chairman of Hull Dispensary for 20 years, a member of the Council for North Myton from 1860, a sheriff of Hull in 1883, a board member of the Hull Dock Company and a president of the Hull Harmonic Society. Later his son, Oscar Knocker, was also a generous donor to the Charterhouse.

William Thomas died on December 28^th, 1886 in a railway carriage between Bridlington and Driffield Yorkshire. He was found dead sitting upright in his seat. It was suspected that his rushing to catch the train at Bridlington, where the train conductor had to stop the train to let him aboard, could have contributed to his sudden death.[ii]

Another son of Emanuel Dibb, whose name was Ashton Dibb, was ordained a priest and went to work in India. It is worth noting that Rev. Ashton Dibb’s son, Rev. Frederick Thomas Dibb, would also die rushing to catch a train in Canada 24 years after his uncle die in a railway carriage in England, as will be detailed later.

At present, apart from William Thomas and Ashton, not much is known about the other children of Emanuel Dibb.

[i] thehullcharterhouse.blogspot.com

[ii] Stephen Reginald Dibb, great-great grandchild of William Thomas Dibb, personal communication; http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hull_Brewery

Photograph of Gleadow and Dibb's staff in 1897, on Silvester street, after demolition of houses on the south side of the street. (Photo courtesy of Joseph Dibbayawan)

Ashton Dibb, another son of Emanuel.(Photo courtesy of Kutty Jaskar)