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The history of Tolly Cobbold starts with the original Cobbold brewery at Harwich founded around 1723 and ends (almost) in 2002 with the merger with Ridley's and closure of the Cliff Brewery at Ipswich. It should be noted, however, that Ridley's have retained the Tolly "brand" for versions of the Tolly Cobbold beers brewed by Ridley's. It should also be noted that the name Tolly Cobbold comes from the merger of two family brewers - the Tollemaches and the Cobbolds in 1957. The intervening events reveal the interesting story of a pioneering regional business in an ever-changing world.
| 1720 | 1723 Harwich Brewery Founded. |
| 1730 | |
| 1740 | 1746 Cliff Brewery Founded. |
| 1750 | 1752 Thomas Cobbold (maltster) dies. 1754 Thomas Cobbold (brewer) opens the "Brewer's Baths" at Harwich. |
| 1760 | 1767 Thomas Cobbold (brewer, born 1708) dies. |
| 1770 | 1770 The Cobbold & Cox partnership is running the Harwich operation whilst John Cobbold is running the main company including the Cliff Brewery at Ipswich. |
| 1780 | |
| 1790 | |
| 1800 | |
| 1810 | |
| 1820 | |
| 1830 | 1835 John Cobbold dies. 1840 Thomas Cobbold (son of John) retires and the Harwich Brewery closes. |
| 1840 | |
| 1850 | |
| 1860 | 1863 John Chevallier Cobbold acquires the new Harwich Brewery |
| 1870 | 1876 New Harwich Brewery closes. |
| 1880 | 1880 Tollemache brothers acquire the Ipswich Brewery from Cullingham & Co. |
| 1890 | 1894-1896 Cliff Brewery Rebuilt. |
| 1900 | |
| 1910 | |
| 1920 | 1920 The Tollemache family acquire the Essex Brewery at Walthamstowe and become incorporated as Tollemache Breweries Ltd. 1923 Bi-centenary of Company. Cobbold acquires half of the Catchpole tied estate. 1924 Company becomes incorporated as Cobbold & Co. Ltd. |
| 1930 | Tollemache Breweries Ltd. acquire controlling share of the Star Brewery, Cambridge. |
| 1940 | 1947 White Star Brewery becomes wholly owned by Tollemache Breweries Ltd. |
| 1950 | 1957 Cobbold & Co. merge with Tollemache's Breweries Ltd. to become Tolly Cobbold. |
| 1960 | 1961 Tollemache brewery at Upper Brook Street, Ipswich closes. |
| 1970 | 1972 Star Brewery, Cambridge closes 1973 New corporate image launched. 1973 New bottling plant installed at Cliff Brewery. 1977 Company taken over by Ellerman Shipping Group. 1979 Tolly Original launched |
| 1980 | 1983 Company sold to Barclay Brothers. 1989 Brent Walker buy Company. 1989 Cliff Brewery closes. |
| 1990 | 1990 Management buyout saves Cliff Brewery. 1991 Brewing starts again in Ipswich. 1992 Brewery tours start at Cliff Brewery. |
| 2000 | 2002 Ridley's acquire company and Cliff Brewery closes. |