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The People's Refreshment House Association.
The PRHA was founded in 1896 by Francis Jayne, Bishop of Chester and in
what we might now
call its mission statement, its Article of Association included the
following aims.
i) The encouragement of temperance at Inns, Public Houses and Canteens.
ii) The provision and prompt supply of food and non-alcoholic
refreshments.
iii) The maintenance of cleanliness and good order.
iv) The purchase of good supplies in the open market.
The PRHA recognised, at the outset, that c.80% of pubs in the United
Kingdom were tied to brewers
and spirit merchants. Therefore, it set out to invite landowners (with
pubs on their estates) corporations,
property trusts etc to allow the PRHA to manage their houses and to
encourage the public to let
the Association know if free houses were being put up for sale.
Funding came via £1 shares offered to the general public, though to
discourage stock speculation, the
annual dividend was capped at 5% (or 1/- in the pound).
In 1901 the PRHA owned/managed 14 pubs but by 1907 this number had risen
more than fourfold
to 61. At the peak of its powers, the PRHA controlled c.130 pubs.
However, the progress of the PRHA seems to have slowed down in the
inter-war period and the Association's freehold properties and leasehold
interests were acquired by Charrington's Anchor Brewery in early 1962.
The PRHA Limited was formally wound up in 1966.
The PRHA made available a form of directory (an early Good Pub Guide!)
which offered travellers
a simple map and a brief description of their pubs. All PRHA pubs
offered tea/coffee at 1d a cup and
a separate room/entrance (away from the bar) for individuals and
families to enjoy food and non-alcoholic
drinks. Most PRHA houses had tea gardens and some offered accommodation.
Pub managers were paid
commission on food and soft drinks but received nothing on sales of
beer/spirit sales. Adverts for
alcoholic drinks were banned and the Association insisted that its
managers strictly observe all the
conditions of the various Licensing Acts.
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