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HomeMy WebLinkAbout439"Article, compiled by Glen Moorhouse, undated, 5 pages. MAKERS OF PATENT MEDICINES William Bentley and Nelson Woodruff operated a thriving patent medicine business in the village of Brougham, in north Pickering. It ran from 1840 - 1870 but their legacy continued for many years after this. William Bentley was from New York State and moved to Brougham in 1829. He opened a general store in 1835 near what is now Brock Road and Highway 7. This area became known as Bentley's Corners. Brougham was actually a mile east and it was only when the post office moved to the store that it became part of the village. In 1852 Bentley built a beautiful red brick house which still stands at this intersection. William Bentley had two brothers, Nathan and James. Both joined him in Brougham but only James worked in the business. Nathan decided to farm in the area. Nelson Woodruff is listed as a Quaker in the 1871 assessment records. Many Quakers settled in the Pickering area. Their meeting house with its semi circular, arched front door was built in 1866-1867 and is located on Highway 2 just east of Church Street. Nelson lived on the property immediately south of William Bentley. Nelson's house has since been torn down, but was built in 1860 at a cost of $1,716.00. The Woodruff Bentley partnership started about 1840. Mrs. T. C. Brown in the pamphlet ""Reminiscences of Early Days of Brougham"" says that the ""pill factory employed five or six girls and a manager"". But if you look at their account book for 1845-1855 it shows that they also employed several travelling salesman who delivered the medicines by house and wagon. William and James were also not above making deliveries. This account book was graciously loaned to me by Robert Miller author of ""The Ontario Village of Brougham: Past, Present Future"". They bought supplies for making their medicines in Toronto and New York. On March 22, 1852 they bought drugs for pills from a J. Tripp of New York. Their account book also records purchase of bottles and labels in Toronto. To get some idea of the size of their business they made deliveries from Woodstock to Montreal. There is also a record of sales in Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Another indication of size was the purchase in Toronto on September 25, 1851 of 28,000 salve labels. The pill factory was located on the southwest corner of Brock Road and Highway 7 where the Methodist Church now stands. James Bentley owned a wood frame house on the lot to the south. When renovations to the church were done in the early 1970's shards of several Woodruff Bentley bottles were found. The business was sold around 1870 and the factory was acquired by a farmers organization called the Grange. They operated it as a cooperative store until it burnt down along with James' house in 1883. " "Bentley's store was known to sell alot of patent medicines. The following is a list of some of their products and what they were used for: Egyptian Salve- was for cuts and came in a roll National Pain Remover- was for both internal and external complaints Oriental Hair Gloss - was for restoring and preserving the hair Dr. Bover's Galvanic Fluid - was a linament Cigars - they made and sold cigars Dr. Caldwell's Dyspepsin Remedy- was for aiding digestion The following is a list of their products whose use is not clear. Euclid Pills, Coopers Pills and Dr. E.L. Soule and Company's Oriental or Sovereign Balm Pills. Robert Miller in his book on Brougham says that they also made ""Horse Conditioning Powder, Canadian Vegetable or Poor Man's Pills and Burdoch Blood Bitters"". Woodruff Bentley like other patent medicine manufacturers made effective use of advertising. Their account book mentions almanacs and promotional bills. An advertisement in the Coburg Star on May 30th, 1849 for Oriental or Sovereign Balm Pills, shows that they also used this medium. William died in 1860, James in 1867 and Nelson in 1874. All three men are buried in the cemetery in Brougham. The story however, does not end here. The business was sold to the Toronto firm of Milburn, Bentley and Pearson. T homas Milburn, Lewis Bentley and Augustus Pearson formed a partnership that ran from 1874 until 1879. Lewis Bentley was Nathan's son and the executor of James will. Lewis is listed as a ""farmer and maker of medicines"" in the 1871 assessment. Not only did the Bentley name continue in the new business but they also continued to make some of their products like Egyptian Salve, Oriental Hair Gloss and Dr. Boyer's Galvanic Fluid. Bradstreets Commercial report for August 1873 give the company a good credit rating and stated that their estimated worth was between $20,000 and $30,000. They obviously must have prospered in the Toronto market. Their facility was located at Church and Colbourne street not far from St. James Cathedral. For some reason the partnership ended in 1879. Thomas Milburn continued in business under the name of T. Milburn and Company. He also continued to sell some of Woodruff Bentley products including Egyptian Salve and the ""old and popular"" Boyer's Galvanic Fluid. The legacy of William Bentley and Nelson Woodruff started in 1840 and continued under Milburn, Bentley and Pearson and finally under T. Milburn. This last company operated until the late 1960's when it sold its last profitable product, Dr. Fowler's Extract of Wild Strawberry, to Sandoz , the Swiss based multinational drug company! " "Note: Special thanks to George Miller for introducing me to his uncle's book ""The Ontario Village of Brougham Past, Present and Future"" and to Mr. Robert Miller for lending me the Woodruff Bentley account book for 1845-1855. Glen Moorhouse P.S. In Tuck's Royal Canadian Almanac for 1876 several Milburn, Bentley and Pearson products were advertised. These include Haggard's Yellow Oil and Freeman's Winter Balm. Thomas Milburn is listed in Glen Phillips book "" The Ontario Drug Store and Druggist list 1851-1930"" as being in business in Acton from 1868-1873. T.C. Hoggard, possibly T.C. Haggard is listed there as well in 1862 and A.H. Freeman from 1869 to 1871. All of these dates are prior to the formation of Milburn, Bentley and Pearson. One wonders if Freeman and Haggard worked for Milburn, Bentley and Pearson or were simply suppliers? " Courtesy of Scott Jordan Robertson's Landmark$ of Toronto Cobonrg Star May 30, 1849 .OnXElvTni, on 90VCRE[GN BALA PILLS. Naw P,nuiv AN l4. a<oumpMud 4y W 4almd If U.. E, L. ffime.t Cn. up<n ud b,,s ^I ww 199Z AND TA AMMAN a.. OR. E. L. SOULE, W N. BENTLEY h CO.. Pm9d. DwgNm. C, W.. Mn1"-3.1819. ry MII.BURN. BENTLEY BE PEARSON, _. 2anvORvren ma Ymwiewm SOHO3iT0._ From Tuck's Royal Canadian Almanac 1878 THE EGYPTIAN SALVE . CORNS CAN BE EFFECTUALLY CUM ....�.,.m-.w:...oW..,w... FOR FRESH CUTS OR SORES 1 Xfi TI G. I,'gan �n' fl R storing, Pre,eryn AND BEAUTIFYING THE BA R- 351 R E E 3E A:Y a6 -R. AO'ENM; ROUGHNESS & CRACKING OF THE SKIN No Toile should he without a bottle of the Winter Baha. PRICE 25 Conte. MANOPACTUEEO BY MSEIIHN, BENTLEY A PEARSON, TO/to.TTo.