Susannah Oland

Susannah Oland

Susannah Oland was a British entrepreneur and brewer who founded Moosehead Breweries, the oldest independent brewery in Canada. She was born in 1829 in England and moved to Canada in 1865 with her husband John and their nine children.

Early Life

Susannah Oland was born in Northumberland, England. Little is known about her early life, but it is known that she developed a passion for brewing at a young age. She learned the craft from her mother, who was also a brewer.

Moosehead Breweries

In 1867, two years after moving to Canada, Susannah Oland started her own brewing company in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The company was initially called "The Army and Navy Brewery," as it primarily served military personnel and their families. The brewery's first beer, a brown October ale, was based on a recipe developed by Susannah herself.

After the death of her husband in 1870, Susannah took over the management of the brewery. Despite the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, she successfully ran the business and even expanded it. In 1877, she renamed the company to "S. Oland, Sons and Co.," reflecting the involvement of her three sons in the business.

In 1886, the brewery was destroyed by a fire. However, Susannah and her sons rebuilt it and continued to grow the business. In 1917, another fire, followed by the Halifax Explosion, destroyed the brewery again. The Oland family rebuilt the brewery once more, this time in Saint John, New Brunswick, and renamed it "Moosehead Breweries" in 1947.

Legacy

Susannah Oland's legacy continues to this day. Moosehead Breweries is still owned and operated by the Oland family, now in its sixth generation of ownership. The company is the oldest independent brewery in Canada and is known for its wide range of beers, many of which are based on Susannah's original recipes.

See Also

• Moosehead Breweries
• History of Beer
• Women in Brewing

References

• Moosehead Breweries. (n.d.). Our Story. Retrieved from https://www.moosehead.ca/our-story/
• The Canadian Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Susannah Oland. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/susannah-oland