Elder Wand

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Lore & Background

Arthur’s early career was defined by rapid industrial scaling. In 1803, following his father's death, he formed 'Arthur Guinness & Sons' with brothers Benjamin and William Lunell. They modernized operations immediately, purchasing a Boulton and Watt steam engine in 1808 for water pumping. Sales skyrocketed from 360,936 gallons in 1800 to approximately 1,200,000 gallons by 1815—equivalent to about 33,333 barrels (using the standard beer barrel of 36 gallons)—then declined, though the claim of a crash to around 60,000 gallons by 1820 is unsupported by known Guinness history; actual production figures show a less extreme drop. The brewery had pivoted entirely to porter after rebuilding in 1797–99, later developing 'Extra Superior Porter' and 'Double Stout' for the British market in the 1820s. These high-value exports thrived on tax differentials between Ireland and Britain, a shift that turned Arthur from a supporter of Grattan’s home rule into a staunch unionist by the 1830s. By his death in 1855, St James's Gate produced 78,000 hogsheads annually, with 42,000 exported.

In Their Own Story

The business landscape shifted violently after 1815, halving brewery sales to a million gallons and forcing reliance on flour mills during the Post-Napoleonic depression. These mills, which had burnt down in 1806, were rebuilt, leased from 1828, and sold by 1838. In 1825, he unsuccessfully tried to remove the bar on Catholics becoming bank directors. His political evolution was stark: a youth supporter of Grattan’s home rule, he later backed the Union due to economic benefits, even as he supported Catholic emancipation from the 1790s onward. A public vote for conservatives in the 1837 election alienated Daniel O’Connell, who dismissed him with 'contemptuous pity' after Arthur voted against repeal. Despite this, Arthur remained a dominant civic figure, unanimously chairing the Dublin Chamber of Commerce from 1826 until his death.

Reader's Guide

Arthur’s legacy was forged in family dynamics and succession struggles. He married Anne Lee in 1793; she died in 1817 after bearing nine children, including Revd. William S. Guinness, art collector Arthur Lee Guinness, and Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness. In 1821, he remarried Maria Barker, with no issue from this union. The family’s internal transitions were complex: his brother Benjamin married Anne’s sister in 1804, creating a web of alliances where their daughter Susan later married Arthur’s eldest son William in 1826. By the late 1830s, the partnership dissolved as the flour mill was sold and the brewery shifted to third-generation leadership. His second son, the third Arthur Guinness, resigned in 1839 following a brief affair with clerk Dion Boucicault. From 1839, his third son Benjamin managed operations until becoming sole owner upon Arthur’s death in 1855, eventually passing control to Edward in 1876.

Did You Know?

• Arthur II was born at the family home on Thomas Street, Dublin, not at Beaumont House which was built later.
• His father credited Arthur's help in 1790 as the reason they could attempt brewery expansion while supporting ten living children.
• The claim that Arthur helped his nephew John establish a short-lived brewery in Bristol in 1839 is not supported by established Guinness family history.
• By 1855, St James's Gate brewed 78,000 hogsheads annually, with over half exported to Britain.

Family Foundations and Early Apprenticeship

Arthur Hart Guinness was born on 12 March 1768 at Beaumont House, the second son of Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) and Olivia Whitmore. To distinguish him from his father, he is often called 'the second Arthur Guinness.' He attended White's Academy in Grafton Street, now the site of Bewley’s. Entering the St James's Gate brewery in the 1780s, his value was immediate; in a 1790 letter, his father noted that expansion relied on him: 'one of my sons is grown up to be able to assist me... or I wd not have attempted it.' In 1793, upon marrying Anne Lee, the brewery lease was assigned to their marriage settlement, confirming his succession. He also worked alongside brothers Benjamin (d.1826) and William (d.1842). His father had founded Hibernian Mills in Kilmainham in 1782 to supply flour to Dublin’s growing population, a venture supported by the Irish Patriot Party.

Strategic Expansion and Brewery Management

Upon his father's death in January 1803, Arthur partnered with brothers Benjamin and William Lunell as 'A. B. & W.L. Guinness & Co.' They bought Beaumont House from elder brother Revd. Hosea Guinness and acquired a Boulton and Watt steam engine in 1808. Sales surged to 2,133,504 gallons by 1815 before crashing to 27,000 barrels by 1820. The brewery had ceased ale production after rebuilding in 1797–99, focusing solely on porter. By the 1820s, they developed 'Extra Superior Porter' and 'Double Stout' for British exports. Tax advantages between Ireland and Britain drove Arthur’s political shift from home rule to unionism by the 1830s. In 1839, he helped his nephew John open a short-lived brewery in Bristol. By 1855, annual output reached 78,000 hogsheads (4,212,000 gallons), with 42,000 exported mainly to Britain.

Banking Leadership and Civic Influence

Arthur served on the Bank of Ireland's Court of Directors from 1804 to 1847, becoming Governor in 1820–22 at the former Irish Houses of Parliament. In 1825, he unsuccessfully sought to remove restrictions on Catholic directors. He chaired the Dublin Chamber of Commerce unanimously from 1826 to 1855 and arbitrated disputes via the Ouzel Galley Society. Elected to Dublin Corporation by the Brewers' Guild in 1802, he also joined the Royal Dublin Society that year. Despite economic turmoil from the Act of Union (1801), Napoleonic Wars, and currency deflation (1818–26), Arthur thrived through networking, even greeting King George IV during his 1821 visit to Dublin.

Philanthropic Commitments and Family Legacy

Arthur supported the Meath Street Savings Bank, Catholic Association (1823–29), Society for Improving the Condition of the Poor, Hibernian Bible Society, Meath Hospital, and Bethesda Locks Penitentiary (where he and wife Anne served on the Governing Committee). He subscribed to Nelson’s Pillar (1808–1809) and held Low church Anglican views. His marriage to Anne Lee in 1793 produced nine children: Revd. William S. Guinness, Arthur Lee Guinness, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, Susanna, Elizabeth, and Rebecca. He remarried Maria Barker in 1821 with no children. In 1804, his brother Benjamin married Anne’s sister Rebecca; their daughter Susan later married Arthur’s eldest son William in 1826. In 1814, the family applied for Magennis clan arms but received modified versions impaling Lee crests.