Voluntary subscriptions for sufferers at Messrs Meux and Co brewhouse

This account is taken from one of the 654 ledgers held in the archives for the London bank, Goslings and Sharpe of Fleet Street. The ledgers run from 1717 to 1896, and contain thousands of accounts of individuals, businesses, charities and other organisations. This particular account was set up to collect donations for people affected by the 'Great Beer Flood' of 1814. The flood occurred when a huge vat of beer at Meux and Co's Horse Shoe brewery collapsed, sending millions of pints of beer flooding through the nearby streets and buildings, killing at least eight people, injuring many more, and destroying homes and businesses. This is an excellent example of how bank archives can tell us about so much more than just banking.