Arthur Guinness | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Guinness, dated 1759 | |
| Born | 24 September 1725 Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland |
| Died | 23 January 1803 (aged 77) Dublin, Ireland |
| Resting place | Oughter Ard, County Kildare, Ireland |
| Occupation | Brewer |
| Known for | Founder of Guinness beer |
| Spouse |
Olivia Whitmore (m. 1761) |
| Children | 10, including Arthur II |
| Family | Guinness |
Arthur Guinness (c. 24 September 1725 – 23 January 1803) was an Irish brewer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. The inventor of Guinness beer, he founded the Guinness Brewery at St. James's Gate in 1759.
Guinness was born in Ardclogh, near Celbridge, County Kildare, in 1725. His father was employed by Arthur Price, a bishop of the Church of Ireland. Guinness himself was later employed by Price, and upon his death in 1752, both he and his father were bequeathed funds from Price's will. Guinness then worked at his stepmother's public house before founding a brewery in Leixlip. In 1759, during a financial crisis that created an abundance of affordable property, Guinness moved to Dublin and purchased an abandoned brewery from the Rainsford family. It was originally an ale brewery, but Guinness began producing porter in 1778, and by 1799, production of ale ceased with the popularity of his darker beer.
Outside of his brewery, Guinness was socially and politically active. A devout Protestant, he founded the first Sunday school in Dublin in 1786 and frequently argued for his fellow gentry to set a strong moral example. He was largely supportive of Catholic rights in Ireland but opposed the Irish Rebellion of 1798. As a member of the Dublin Corporation of Brewers, Guinness was also instrumental in petitioning the Irish House of Commons to change the tax code surrounding the importation of beer. Guinness and his wife had ten children together, and upon Guinness's death in 1803, his son Arthur Guinness II inherited the brewery and all operations.