The Gibbons family were important property and business owners in Eynsham in Victorian times. They were involved in brewing, and were wine and spirits merchandisers, as well as having agricultural interests.
The Gibbons’ brewery, owned by Edward James Gibbons, was located in the High Street, Eynsham, opposite the property called The Shrubbery. Gibbons owned several of Eynsham’s pubs, which were ‘tied’ to the brewery, meaning that they were required to sell its beer. The brewery was eventually sold to the Hall’s Brewery in 1911, but the new owners never used the High Street site as a brewery.
As you can see from the branding on this stoneware jar, featuring a two-tone glaze, it came from Edward J. Gibbons Wine and Spirit Merchants. The design is typical of 19th-century storage vessels.