Today this is where the Oasis Steakhouse now stands on Dundas Street.
The first commercial brewery in Woodstock, Ontario, was the 'Woodstock Brewery'. It was located at the south-west corner of Dundas and Norwich Streets. The owners were S & J Collins and they owned the brewery from 1857-1884. A succession of additional owners kept the business going until 1914.
At one time he, his wife and children lived near Putnam, Middlesex, Ontario and on Lot 5 Concession 4 West Oxford Township, Oxford Co. He came with his parents to Canada in 1836 at the age of 3. He and his wife were members of the Wesleyan Methodist church.
John inherited a large sum of money from his father who ran the Collen's Brewery which was at the corner of Norwich Avenue and Dundas Street in Woodstock, Ontario.
John and his family spent the money very quickly . They bought a large house in the south end of Woodstock. They would hang chickens in the shed and instead of plucking and dressing them, they would just cut off the skin and hack off the flesh they wanted.
Hannah John's wife took the last of the inheritance and bought a small house in the Teeple Street area where they lived after losing the large house.
"Mr Larry Collens, the great grandson of the first proprietor, Stephen Collens .
"Stephen Collens (1801-1878) moved from England to Hamilton, Ont, in 1836, where he worked in a brewery for a few years. He decided he wanted his own brewery, so after borrowing money from his employer, he moved to Woodstock, Ont. and built a brewery on the corner of Dundas St and Norwich Ave.
The building was made of white brick and his name was built into the Norwich side of the building in red brick. After Stephen's death, the brewery was run by his sons who later sold the business to a Mr P. Bernhart who in turn sold it to a Mr Otterbein, who converted part of the building into a foundry - hence burned the building down. End of brewery. Stephen Collens was my great grandfather."
John married Anna Maria (Hannah) Chance, daughter of Coporal John Chance and Elizabeth (Eliza) Bennett, on 23 Jan 1868 in Woodstock, Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada.1 (Anna Maria (Hannah) Chance was born on 23 Mar 1851 in Burford Township, Brant Co., Ontario, died on 27 Oct 1925 in Woodstock, Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada and was buried on 30 Oct 1925 in Anglican Cemetery, Woodstock, Oxford Co., Ontario
Today this is where the Oasis Steakhouse now stands on Dundas Street
Source: Larry Collens, grandson of the original brewery's founder.
Vital Records - Ontario, Oxford Co. - Marriage Register 1858-1869
Cemetery - Ontario, Oxford Co., Woodstock - Anglican
Newspaper - Ontario, Oxford, Woodstock - Sentinel Review, 26 March 1915.
Photos from private source
The first commercial brewery in Woodstock, Ontario, was the 'Woodstock Brewery'. It was located at the south-west corner of Dundas and Norwich Streets. The owners were S & J Collins and they owned the brewery from 1857-1884. A succession of additional owners kept the business going until 1914.
At one time he, his wife and children lived near Putnam, Middlesex, Ontario and on Lot 5 Concession 4 West Oxford Township, Oxford Co. He came with his parents to Canada in 1836 at the age of 3. He and his wife were members of the Wesleyan Methodist church.
John inherited a large sum of money from his father who ran the Collen's Brewery which was at the corner of Norwich Avenue and Dundas Street in Woodstock, Ontario.
John and his family spent the money very quickly . They bought a large house in the south end of Woodstock. They would hang chickens in the shed and instead of plucking and dressing them, they would just cut off the skin and hack off the flesh they wanted.
Hannah John's wife took the last of the inheritance and bought a small house in the Teeple Street area where they lived after losing the large house.
"Mr Larry Collens, the great grandson of the first proprietor, Stephen Collens .
"Stephen Collens (1801-1878) moved from England to Hamilton, Ont, in 1836, where he worked in a brewery for a few years. He decided he wanted his own brewery, so after borrowing money from his employer, he moved to Woodstock, Ont. and built a brewery on the corner of Dundas St and Norwich Ave.
The building was made of white brick and his name was built into the Norwich side of the building in red brick. After Stephen's death, the brewery was run by his sons who later sold the business to a Mr P. Bernhart who in turn sold it to a Mr Otterbein, who converted part of the building into a foundry - hence burned the building down. End of brewery. Stephen Collens was my great grandfather."
John married Anna Maria (Hannah) Chance, daughter of Coporal John Chance and Elizabeth (Eliza) Bennett, on 23 Jan 1868 in Woodstock, Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada.1 (Anna Maria (Hannah) Chance was born on 23 Mar 1851 in Burford Township, Brant Co., Ontario, died on 27 Oct 1925 in Woodstock, Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada and was buried on 30 Oct 1925 in Anglican Cemetery, Woodstock, Oxford Co., Ontario
Today this is where the Oasis Steakhouse now stands on Dundas Street
Source: Larry Collens, grandson of the original brewery's founder.
Vital Records - Ontario, Oxford Co. - Marriage Register 1858-1869
Cemetery - Ontario, Oxford Co., Woodstock - Anglican
Newspaper - Ontario, Oxford, Woodstock - Sentinel Review, 26 March 1915.
Photos from private source
