Back in the days of the apothecary
IN a season when people often reach for indigestion remedies, it is interesting to look back at Stockport’s apothecary’s – forerunners of today’s pharmacists.
The most famous of these was Olive Sims who arrived from London by stagecoach in 1786, opening in a former hostelry at the bottom of Rostron Brow on Lower Hillgate. He had intended to open in Manchester, but perhaps found more sick people on Hillgate and less competition.
His business selling drugs and herbal potions thrived.
As a Quaker, he wore the fashions of Georgian England well into the 19th century.
His cocked hat, low buckled shoes, stockings, knee breeches, and snuff coloured tailcoat were a familiar sight around town.
He loved walking, and winter sports, often skating the full length of the Upper Carr Dam, below Hillgate, when it was frozen over.
Poor people who couldn’t afford doctors would come to him for advice, and he would prescribe medicines which he made up.
His sons also joined the medical profession, one carrying on the business and another becoming a doctor.
But tragedy struck shortly after the death of their father aged 75 in 1836 when Samuel contracted a fever from one of his patients, and John Sims succumbed to the same cause from a customer!
The business was carried on by Alexander Shaw who ran the shop for another 33 years until it was taken over by Edward Hornby the patentee of ‘Xylon Lint’ widely used in dressing wounds.
In 1883 the shop and business were sold to Kay Bros. Chemists and Druggists who had opened up only a few doors away.
No. 13 the former hostelry in which Olive Sims had opened was then sold to Mr Chatterton, a draper who rebuilt it in black and white mock Tudor style – a building which until it burnt down recently was used as the Scripture Union bookshop.
There was also a famous herbalist on Hillgate selling herbal remedies gathered by the proprietor, Mr David Price Jones and his family, on trips scouring the local hedgerows.
People would call in and drink a glass of his blood tonic, which he sold over the counter as late as the 1960s. »»Folksy tales like these and lots of lovely old photos can still be seen in the extensive range of Heritage Magazine back copies at www.stockportheritagemagazine.co.uk and there are deals on full sets of available mags. Tel. 01663 719129.