By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight Observer, published on 12th January 1889, told of the first prosecution on the Island of a brewer who used sugar without recording it for the tax authorities. The same edition of the newspaper recorded that a Shanklin man was fined £4 14s or a month’s imprisonment for keeping a dog without a licence and a Ventnorian was fined 1s and costs for carrying a gun without a licence.
Michael Hardman, co-founder of CAMRA, in his book ‘Beer Naturally’ said that the use of sugar in brewing was illegal until 1880. After then it was heavily taxed. In 1900, more than 6,000 people in the Midlands and North West of England were affected by arsenic poisoning, with more than 70 deaths. The cause was impure sugar used in the brewing process. The sugar had been produced sulphuric acid.
William Norman, of the St. Mary-street Brewery, West Cowes, was summoned for having used sugar in the process of brewing, on the 7th September without having notified the fact in the book provided for the purpose by the Inland Revenue authorities. —This is the first case which been brought forward in the Isle of Wight. —Defendant pleaded guilty, and added that he merely used four pounds of sugar for the purpose of colouring the beer, his malt being exceptionally light in colour. —The Chairman (to defendant): There is no reason why you should not use sugar. If you had entered it it would have been all right. As this is the first case of the kind in the Isle of Wight the court will take a lenient view of the offence and fine you 5s. and costs. The Supervisor (Mr. Warren) applied for the costs of an analyst, who had been specially brought from Somerset House to prove the case. —As the bench decided to allow these costs, the total penalty was increased to £2 19s.