Edward Greene
Edward Greene (1815-1891) of Greene King and Conservative politician
1815 August 17th. Born the son of Benjamin Greene, a West Indies proprietor, who established the Greene King brewery
Educated at the Grammar School at Bury St Edmunds
1836 Took over the management of the brewery company from his father. He expanded and diversified the company significantly, doubling the brewery workforce to fifty and increasing output to 40,000 barrels a year by 1870. Greene introduced unprecedented benefits for his workforce including a pension scheme and new standards of housing for his workers.
He was a J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant for Suffolk and a master of the Suffolk Fox Hounds.
Elected at the 1865 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bury St Edmunds, and held the seat until the constituency was reduced to one member at the 1885 general election. He did not stand in 1885, but at the 1886 general election he was elected for the Stowmarket constituency, and held that seat until his death
1840 Married(1) to Emily Smythies, daughter of Rev. G Smythies of Stanground near Peterborough
1870 Married(2) to Caroline Dorothea Hoste, daughter of Charles Prideaux Brune and widow of Rear Admiral Sir William Hoste. His son Edward succeeded as brewer and MP.
1891 April 5th. Died.