that several alehouses existed in the later 15th and earlier 16th centuries. Alehouses were licensed in 1576, 1580, and 1608, although an unlicensed one owned by a collar-maker was suppressed in 1618. There were three unlicensed alehouses or beerhouses in 1644. The White Hart was a popular meeting place for farmers taking sheep and cattle to market, which caused the creation of the cluster of buildings known as the Crescent next to the pub. The Crescent contained four buildings: Anerly, Bascete, the Wheelwright's and the Blacksmith's shop, which original parts of can still be seen, although are all residential houses now. The Anerley was formerly known as The Crown and Sceptre Brewery and the Bascete used to contain a chapel at the rear of the building. The Brewery The Daniell family had lived in Colchester since 1509 and were freemen of the town. The first member of the family to start brewing was Thomas Daniel during the 18th century, who produced beer for the workers on his farm. The beer was such a favourite with the men that he started selling it around the village and local area and in 1859 expanded the operation to two new breweries run by his two sons. The firm went from strength to strength and became a public company in 1886, with a value of £30,000. The biggest event for the firm was to have Osmond Orpen marry into the family, who was known as the greatest brewer in England and became the Daniells' head brewer before moving on to be managing director. This had a great impact on the village. Not only did it create more jobs and help expand the village but Osmond also ran the parish council and was overseer of the poor. In his will he, along with Lorkin Daniell, gave the land and money for the building of the village hall (Orpen Memorial Hall) and surrounding land (Lorkin Daniell Playing Field). The rapid growth of the village also encouraged service trades and building. Grocers, butchers, bakers, coopers, poulterers, and dealers in tea and fruit were established by 1851, and increased in number in later decades. Alfred Diss, builder of the new Methodist Chapel (1878), Ebeneezer Villas (1884), and possibly the small Gothic Cottages (1880s), employed 9 carpenters, 9 bricklayers, and 8 labourers in 1881. Fluctuations in the building industry were thought to have contributed to serious unemployment in the