George Isaac Stuart

by Jerry Muir

An immigrant from England, Stuart moved to Victoria prior to 1862. An entrepreneur, he established the brewery of Stuart and Co. (Lion Brewery) in 1864. He soon had to take on partners. The Victoria Colonist of July 1, 1864, reported Hugh Moore joined Alfred Elliot and G.I. Stuart as a partner in the Lion Brewery. While the last entries of the account ledgers were made in 1880, it is known that Stuart was out of that business prior to that date. It can be assumed that he sold his share sometime before 1875.

On April 26, 1875, Stuart and Keast Brewery began operation. Located near the site of the Nanaimo sawmills, the brewery was capable of producing 600 gallons of beer per week. D.W. Gordon and his partner Richard Nightengale were commissioned to build the new brewery -- the first such building on Vancouver island to be built explicitly for brewing. The manager of the new brewery was William Crockford. While unclear as to how long this venture was to last, newspaper reports simply state that this business failed after a short time.

As reported in both the British Columbia Gazette of Feb. 11, 1875 and the Colonist of Feb 13, 1875, Stuart was appointed by Her Majesty the Queen as the consul at Victoria for the Republic of Chile. It can therefore be assumed that he had a number of bureaucratic connections back in England and was probably, if not part of the aristocracy, at least from a well-to-do family.

Stuart returned to England due to failing heath in the year 1876. He would never fully recover and died three years later on October 9, 1879 at 1 Ashley Place, London -- the home of his brother, Alexander Stuart. The cause of death was not stated, but it was inferred that the affliction that caused his death was the same that originally prompted his return back to England.

It is not certain when Stuart left Victoria, but as stated in the newspaper reporting his death, he was living in England for nearly three years prior to his passing. Therefore, it can be concluded that Stuart was around not more than two years after the brewery was started. It is reported that the brewery of Stuart and Keast failed in a short time but exactly when is not known. Lion Brewery continued on through the ownership of numerous successive partnerships.

Despite a rugged appearance, Stuart was literate and proficient in bookkeeping. The numerous positions he held show that he was well educated and somewhat wealthy. From one remaining letter penned by his hand, it is clear that he was well spoken and intelligent.