NORTHAMPTON
PHILADELPHUS JEYES CHEMIST
There were 6 shops in Northamptonshire, later on they had one in Regent Street Rugby. The head office was in the Drapery Northampton.you could gain access from College Street to the warehouse. the warehouse stood on the grounds of the former Boot Inn.There may have been more shops owned by Jeyes.
HOLLY LODGE BOUGHTON NORTHANTS.
FORMER HOME OF PHILADELPHUS JEYES.
photo. autumn gold 2 . flickr.com
Was this the interior of Jeyes Chemist shop The Drapery?
if you know where this was please email me.
susaneclarke@btinternet.com
JEYES CHEMIST . THE DRAPERY. JOHN JEYES patented JEYES FLUID www.jeyes.com .www.beamish.org.uk John Jeyes was the younger brother of Philadelphus Jeyes.
227 Wellingborough Road Northampton
IN 2011 the premises of 227 Wellingborought Road was up for sale at £360.000
In the late 1950`s we would go with our aunt Nancy Gulliver to Jeyes Chemist in the Drapery to get prescriptions for Maria Gulliver.
I was interested how the medicine was made and how the pills was counted. My aunt was well known and trustworthy and ask if i could go around the other side of the counter and was given a tour of the pharmacy. From that day onwards i knew i wanted to work in a pharmacy, but had no idea how it would happen.
I am a Christian and believe i was spoken to by God and he told me i would work in a place where i was helping people.
I carried on with my college work in dressmaking and design and did well. I worked in the Brook dressmaking factory , but didnt like working in a factory with no fresh air or windows to see out of.
One day i was on my way to the dentist and saw a notice on a chemist shop door, dispensing assistant required, training given.
I knew this was what i wanted and went in and had an interview, i was given the job, i had no experience of the work, other than i had worked for years on Saturdays in Littlewoods Store in Northampton town centre.
I gave my notice in to the Brook factory and started my training. It was interesting and i picked it up quickly.
I was to work there for four years until i got married.
in the 1960`s most days i would call in the head office warehouse in College Street on my way to work and collect any urgent
Medicine needed for customers at Wellingborough Road branch
The items were carried in my basket covered with a head scarf.
I was a dispensing assistant at Wellingborough Road branch of Jeyes Chemist.
The manager and pharmacist was Mrs Margaret Kirchmeier, daughter of Mr. Mrs Billingham who owned Billinghams the Printers of 38 Bridge Street Northampton.
The printing business started in 1850.
She left Jeyes when her mother died suddenly. We had a phone call at work from the hospital to say she had passed away. Part of my job to take all phone calls.
I was left to tell Mrs Kirchmeier that her mother had died. she had been to hospital for a small operation She took over the family printing firm until it was sold.
Little did i know that we was distant relations. I knew that her father Mr Billingham came from Harpole, as did my grandmothers family ,Blackwell,Frost.Years ago people could only get about by walking or by horse and cart.So it was not surprising that the familes were connected, both coming from Harpole.When Mr Paul Kirchmeier had an accident and was unable to work on farms . he decided to give his sheep dog up to a farmer.My aunt nancy gulliver had just lost her sheep dog and was willing to take Lassie the sheep dog on. The dog was a very good worker.
We had many locums until we had Mr Besbrode . His daughter, Natalie is presenter on Heart Radio in the week day mornings.
On the makeup counter was Kay , she was in charge of the makeup and perfume counter.One of her regular customers was Mrs Jill Knight MP. She like to use our shop to stock up with all her make up and personal needs. She was a very nice lady to talk to .
When kay had a day off the work was divided between myself and Rosemary who ran the medical counter. when Rosemarie was off Kay and me ran the shop. Rosemary and i have been friends since 1964. In 2013 she has asked me to help her find her fathers ancestors. the Douglas family, so far i have found the came from Wootton Northampton. Eva Douglas married John Clarke whose family were related to George Clarke of 11 Courteenhall Road Blisworth Northampton.
The dispensary was in the old conservatory at the side of the shop. in winter cold and summer hot. Each week all the shelves had to be dusted and containers arranged neatly. prescriptions were written on by using an old writing desk top on the work surface.
Once a month all prescriptions were recorded an packed up and red wax seal was used as security and sent by post. The post office was further down Wellingborough road.
Daily people would bring in their prescriptions for us to dispense.Mr Harold Nash whose was an organist for the Savoy Cinema/ theatre from 1945-56 was a regular customer.Also a local lady whose father had been in the Klondike, Canada and brought back gold dust. she was so grateful for our service to her she gave us a small amount of gold dust each and had a special hankerchief made for us. Sometimes farmers came in to order medical items for their farms.The shop held a licence for drink. at Christmas time we sold many bottles of wineAt Christmas time we stocked many well known perfume and toiletries, mostly packed in pretty cardboard boxes. on Christmas eve last minute shoppers, mainly men would call in and buy something for their wife. they would leave the decision to us as most had been out for a drink.
Patients from St Andrews Private Hospital were allowed out to bring their private prescription to us .
We then charged them for the items and for making up the prescriptions.
I was in charge of all the ordering of the medicine for the dispensary and the drug store room in the cellar and any wine or other items needed.
Earlier in the 20 th century. a couple who worked and lived there had commited suicide. he hung himself from the beams in the cellar and she put her head in the gas oven. both died.It was known among the people who worked there.I was ok being there on my own and didnt feel frightened. i went down the cellar daily to fetch medicine and drugs. it was a bit spooky to go in the kitchen.
From a record kept by London Gazette 14 November 1958.
Mr William Fred Moss. Company Director of 227 Wellingborough Road Northampton .Deceased 17 November 1957.
Mrs Doris Mary Moss. widow . of 227 Wellingborough Road Northampton .Deceased 25 February 1958.
My job was to make up the liquid medicine each day into bottles . Keep clean and tidy the shelves and work top in the pharmacy as well as dispensing the drugs. after dispensing each prescription it was checked by the pharmacist before going out to the patient.
My uniform was a white coat, this i was specially made for me and it was a good fit. During the summer time the sleeves were rolled up as we was working under a glass roof and it could be very warm.
Carefully measuring the powder out on small brass scales and mixing with the correct amount of liquid , mix it and fill up the large bottles.
Sometimes a prescription would come in for someone that was very ill at home. The pharmacist would make the prescription up as it contained class 1 drugs along with syrup and liquorice to sweeten the taste. the tablets were crushed and added to the mixture .One day i made this mixture up under the guildance of the pharmacist. it was for an old lady who lived next door was very ill at home.My job then was to deliver the medicine to the family. over the years we got to know many families. there wasnt any supermarkets and we had sole rights for selling health related items . such as toothpaste and medical and surgical items shampoo. cough mixture. Tablets were dispensed out of a bottle into the palm of our hands and then counted.
People came in with upset stomachs, for this we was allowed to dispense a mixture with morphine in which we made up in the dispensary .the problem with this it was very good but could become additive. The medicine was called Kaolin et Morph.
Once a year a dinner and dance was held for all employees. The grand Overstone Hall was hired for the evening in 1967 and there was a seven or eight course dinner. one course was smoked salmon something i had never eaten before. There was a steady stream of people to wait on us all dressed in black and white uniforms as in the 1920 style. A bit like Upstairs down stairs and Downton Abbey. After all the courses were finished and the speeches were over the band started up . most of us was dancing. As it was my 21 birthday the band played happy birthday and i was asked to dance with many people. including the gentleman i spoke to on the phone each day ordering items needed next day in the shop. he wasnt a bit like i had thought he would be. He was smaller than me , but very pleasant. his name was Mr Campbell who worked in the warehouse.
More records of the firm of P Jeyes are kept at Northampton Record Office.
The firm had started in 1810 and closed in 1970`s. There is still one chemist owned by Jeyes family at Earls Barton a village outside of Northampton
including the prescription books dating from1930-1975.
These books kept the record of prescriptions dispensed.
From the census of 1861 it states that Philadelphus Jeyes and his family were recorded as living at 6 The Drapery Northampton.
They had 4 apprentices working for them.
In the 1962 BT phone book of Northamptonshire it records 6 chemist shops as belonging to Philadelphus. Jeyes.
The chemist shops was in Daventry. Towcester, Kettering and Wellingborough Road and Kingsley Park Terrace and the head office and shop, dispensary and showroom and stockroom at 6 The Drapery Northampton. It was a very good company to work for. Thet cared about the staff.
PHILADELPHUS JEYES . CHEMIST
227 . Wellingborough Road. Northampton.
previously Jeyes Chemist
photo Hadlands.
Green jar. Similar to ones kept at Jeyes Chemist
