WHERE would you find a stone bed-warmer, a pill maker, bile beans, a bag of wormwood, apple blossom perfume, a 1904 midwife’s case, a cure for hysteria in women, and a product to keep snakes at bay and your roses pest free?
The answer is at The Jeyes Heritage and Pharmacy Museum at Jeyes on The Square, Earls Barton.
Having run their community pharmacy, Jeyes Chemist, since 1981 David and Georgina Jeyes have collected a very personal memory of David’s local ancestors and the Jeyes family have created an unusual historical museum well worth a visit.
The Jeyes link with pharmacy goes back to 1635 but we will pick up the tale of two Victorian brothers, born in Wootton, Northampton – John in 1817 and Philadelphus in 1814.
The Jeyes Museum sets out to show the different paths they followed. John was an inventor and botanist at heart, developing 27 patented disinfectants the most famous being Jeyes Fluid, still sold worldwide today.
Philadelphus was a successful business man and pharmacist, spending his days in The Drapery Store in Northampton, closely guarding the secrets of his own medicinal preparations, selling agricultural supplies, acting as vet, dentist and optician. His use of carbocide for remedies was well known – the opposition penned the motto ‘carbolic, carbolic with a smell diabolic’ and years later in the 1920s David’s father, John (Jack), would run out onto The Saints pitch to the chant of ‘Come on Carbocide’.
Upstairs at the pharmacy high-class gifts and perfumes were sold with pride from elegant mahogany and glass cabinets.
Photography played an important part of life at Jeyes, developing, printing and supplying photographic materials to enable a keen amateur to progress. The Jeyes family have focused on a collection of over 200 cameras and equipment and welcome photographic clubs to visit.
Although David Jeyes has officially retired, his roots in pharmacy remain intact as Georgina, Philippa and Anna spend their time not only running the award-winning Apothocoffee Shop and gift shop but have put their heart and soul into recreating the lives of John and Philadelphus and the days of The Drapery ‘chymist and druggist’ store.
As Georgina explained: “We are fortunate to be part of such heritage and have so many memories – they are relevant today. We have realised by embracing the past there is a future in sharing our pharmacy story. By listening, we are learning and by talking, we are teaching. We all dig deep into our memory to remember and share, keeping those long-forgotten gems of knowledge alive – chatting and laughing is much more fun than looking up online.
“We thank our customers and friends who keep their eyes peeled for Jeyes memorabilia – keep up the good work.”
The Jeyes Heritage & Pharmacy Museum is located upstairs at Jeyes of Earls Barton, with free entry for all the family. Jeyes of Earls Barton is open 8.30am to 5.30pm and 8.30am to 5pm on Saturday. Find out more by calling 01604 810289 or visit www.jeyesofearlsbarton.co.uk
