Powys County Archives
Powys County Archives
Health Care
Chemists in Powys continued
An advertisement for another chemist, this time J Ward in Builth Wells, Breconshire, puts its emphasis on the purity of the ingredients used in its preparations - an important consideration. Cheap and adulterated ingredients in food and drugs were still a real possibility in 1891.
Probably because of the cost of medical care, people also often used patent remedies and home cures.
The census entry for another Powys Chemist - this time William P Marshall of Montgomery - shows that he had a diverse range of responsibilities in the town.
| 1891 Census | |||||||
| 1 Kerry Street, Montgomery | |||||||
| Name | Position in household |
Marital status |
Age | Occupation | Place of Birth | Deaf and dumb blind/lunatic, imbecile or idiot |
English/ Welsh speaker |
| William P Marshall | Head | M | 49 |
Chemist, Druggist and Postmaster |
Warwick, Birmingham | Both | |
| Emma Marshall | Wife | M | 45 | Montgomery, Kerry | English | ||
| Emma J P Marshall | Daur | S | 21 | Montgomery | English | ||
| Reginald E Lloyd | Visitor | S | 46 | Montgomery | Imbecile | English | |
Unusually, there is an entry in the penultimate column for Reginald E Lloyd which gives an interesting insight into attitudes towards disability at the time.
According to the census, Brecon boasted a woman chemist:
| 1891 Census | ||||||
| 25 High Street, Brecon | ||||||
| Name | Position in household |
Marital status |
Age | Occupation | Place of Birth | English/Welsh speaker |
| Margaret Edwards | Wife | M | 26 | Chemist and druggist | Breconshire, Llangattock | English |
| Samuel Arthur | Assistant | S | 29 | Chemist and druggist | Cornwall, Penzance | English |
| Emily Lewis | Servant | S | 17 | Domestic Servant | Breconshire, Builth | English |
| Charlotte Wilson | Sister in law | S | 34 | Breconshire, Crickhowell | English | |
Finally, a chemist in Crickhowell, James P Hughes, had two sons who were both continuing the medical interests of the family:
| 1891 Census | ||||||
| 11 High Street, Crickhowell | ||||||
| Name | Position in household |
Marital status |
Age | Occupation | Place of Birth | English/Welsh speaker |
| James P Hughes | Head | M | 50 | Chemist | Monmouth, Ebbw Vale | Both |
| E L Hughes | Wife | M | 43 | Bristol | English | |
| James A Hughes | Son | S | 20 | Student of medicine | Monmouth, Abercarn | Both |
| David M Hughes | Son | S | 15 | Student of medicine | Monmouth, Abercarn | Both |
| Blanche A M Lewis | Visitor | 3 | Bristol | English | ||