Brewer, Inventor, and Salisbury Citizen

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Friday 19th December was the last meeting for the Probus Club of Salisbury, before the Chritsmas / New Year break.

We were delighted that member Mike Pointer (Outgoing Programme Secretary) could entertain and educate us with his history of a local brewer, scientist and civic leader. Mike has spent a number of years researching the Lovibond family and business background, and by his own admission agrees there is still more to dicover. The following is a summary of Mike’s excellent and comprehensive presentation:

Joseph William Lovibond – Why He Matters

Joseph William Lovibond was a Salisbury brewer whose determination to improve beer quality led to a scientific breakthrough that is still used worldwide today. His work laid the foundations for modern colour measurement in brewing, water analysis, and many other industries.

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Early Life

• Born: 17 November 1833, Long Sutton, Somerset
• Son of John Lovibond, a barge owner on the Somerset Levels
• Mother died when he was five; father later remarried
• Ran away aged 13 and went to sea as an apprentice sailor
• Travelled to Australia and California during the gold rushes
• Returned to England aged 21 and joined his father’s brewing business

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Brewing Career

• Father established brewing operations in Frome and later at the Nag’s Head Brewery, Greenwich
• Joseph joined the business in 1854
• Married Charlotte Spear in 1858
• Purchased St Anne’s Brewery, Salisbury, in 1869
• Moved to Salisbury with his family and bought Windover House (now Fawcett’s Accountants)

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The Scientific Breakthrough

Lovibond recognised that consistent beer quality depended on accurately measuring colour and clarity.

Key Developments

• From 1875, experimented with coloured glass filters
• By 1880, developed a rotating disc of graded amber glass
• In 1885, demonstrated the Lovibond Series 50 and 52 colour scales
• These scales became international standards in brewing

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The Tintometer

• Lovibond named his invention the Tintometer
• The Tintometer Limited was incorporated in 1895
• Manufacturing began at a former flour mill in Waterloo Road, Salisbury
• Glass was hand-made, graded by eye in north-facing rooms — a method still used today

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Beyond Beer

Lovibond’s colour measurement methods were later applied to:

• Drinking water and swimming pools
• Boiler water on ships
• Honey, oils, varnishes, and resins
• Environmental and sewage testing

Lovibond instruments are still used by:

• Swimming pools and laboratories worldwide
• Cruise ships and the Royal Navy
• Brewing and food industries

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Later Life

• Wife Charlotte died in 1897
• Purchased Lake House, Wilsford-cum-Lake
• Extensively restored the house, including after a major fire in 1912
• Served as Mayor of Salisbury on more than one occasion
• Justice of the Peace and respected local employer
• Died on 21 April 1918
• Buried in Salisbury Cathedral (exact grave location unknown)

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Family and the Fawcett Connection

• Daughter Anna Lovibond married Sidney Fawcett in 1887
• Their descendants included Arthur Fawcett and Peter Fawcett
• Peter Fawcett, former Probus member, was Joseph Lovibond’s great-grandson
• Youngest daughter Catherine Lovibond later became Lady Hedley and succeeded her father as Chair of Tintometer

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Tintometer Today

• Company moved from Waterloo Road in 2005
• Now based at Lovibond House, Sunrise Way, Amesbury
• 2024 figures:
  • Turnover: approx. £18.9 million
  • UK workforce: 139 employees

From a Salisbury brewery to a global scientific company, Lovibond’s legacy continues.

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A Salisbury Legacy

Joseph Williams Lovibond was:

• A successful brewer
• A pioneering scientist
• A civic leader
• A man whose work still shapes industry worldwide

His story is a reminder that Salisbury has produced innovators whose influence reaches far beyond the city’s walls.

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As one may imagine, Mike’s presentation was very well recieved – a important local person bought to life and told with Mike’s usual enthusiasm. President Phil Gray proposed the vote of thanks and members retired to a local hostelry for a light lunch.

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Further information may be found via these links:

https://breweryhistory.com/wiki/index.php/A_History_of_Lovibond%27s_Salisbury_Brewery

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lovibond-origin-story-lovibond-cfwwe