Week 35: My ancestor was an apothecary/chemist

[Jill on the A272]

This is an opportunity to showcase an apothecary or chemist from your family tree, you might want to offer a short biography and speak about their work eg
Name
Birth location/date
Family background
Where you've found them on the census
Their workplace/employer
Any tips on researching this occupation?

Trades and Occupations

[Next week: Police officer]

[Jill on the A272]

Norman Pierpoint's will states he was a surgeon apothecary, he made it a few days before he died aged 25 in Lindfield, Sussex. His father Matthew Pierpoint was a surgeon in Lindfield, and great grandfather John Norman (my husband's 7x ggf) was a surgeon in Maresfield.

Norman left his lands at Black Fen to his father and friend Francis Read (apothecary surgeon of Horsham) and other effects to be converted into money, £100 was to go to the "child of Sarah Brooker late of Steyning which she had by me" on reaching 21, the rest to be divided between his siblings, and Miss Elizabeth Beard of Chailey was to have 10 guineas and a mourning ring, while George Beard the younger was to have his new gun. The will was not proved until 1780.

I was able to find the illegitimate child, Frances Pierpoint Brooker in Upper Beeding registers, (near Steyning) admitted to the church 11 Sept 1774 having been privately baptised in August and have traced her descendant to modern times.

The apothecary surgeon's family house is still there near the church in Lindfield High Street and is called Pierpoints. There are two Pierpont box tombs in the south of the churchyard.

[Lin Fisher]

James Betts born 1892 and married Catherine Maria Hurt in Beeston Notts by Licence was a chemist of druggist depending on what document you look at.

They moved to Newark in Notts and had 8 children. Unfortunately he died quite young on 12 Jan 1834 in Newark. Catherine was a distant cousin.

[teasie]

Isaiah Bourdas 1812-1881 was the brother of my 3xG Grandmother, and his obituary says he was one of the founders of the Pharmaceutical Society.

Born just outside of Scarborough, North Yorkshire but moved to London where he became a very successful chemist/druggist.

Died in 1881 leaving an estate of over £40,000 - worth around £4m in today's money depending on which 'calculator' you use - although his property alone is now valued at c£6m

And no - my lot didn't see a penny of it!