John Howe (How) was a bookseller and stationer located in Marlow High Street in the late 1700's*. But like many booksellers, he also sold patent medicines and acted as an insurance broker. He was in addition a printer with his own "large" printing press. All this means he had an interesting shop to browse. Would you like to know what you could buy from him? Then read on!
All of the below are products specifically known to be sold at his premises in Marlow.
The London Magazine - The November 1783 Edition features an account of the Bedlam Hospital, a description of meteors recently spotted, and some topical poetry.
The Ladies Memorandum Book or Daily Pocket Journal, price 1s. For recording your spending and making notes. Includes a list of birthdays for members of the Royal family, enigmas and paradoxes for amusement, original songs and poetical pieces to entertain family with, plus such useful things as a table for calculating your Window Tax liabilities and a list of roads "from London to Edinburgh"
The Sportsman's Dictionary or Gentleman's Companion for Town and Country. Your guide to sports from cock fighting and fishing to horse racing and hawking. Includes information on breeding horses, and caring for dogs, poultry and game as well as song birds. 5s with 16 copper plates.
"Almanacks" 1784 prices range from 8d -10d
Ladies Magazine price 6d, gardening special issue November 1783.
Town and Country Magazine, price 6d. A great number of original, inspiring and instructive articles.
The Convivial Songster, new edition. Something for every singer here, from sea shanties, "bacchanalian" pieces and humourous songs, to romantic ballads and those on "the caprices of women". Music and words with also some suggested toasts and musical hints. Price 3s 6d bound in red. 1783.
A Concise Abstract of 87 Acts of Parliament, by "a gentleman of the Middle Temple" 1783, price 2s 6d bound. "Absolutely necessary for any Gentleman, Tradesman etc"
Walker's Genuine and Original Jesuits Drops - a sovereign remedy for "weakness and obstruction in the urinary passage" plus all disorders of the stomach.
Adams Solvent - for dissolving "stones", price 2 shillings a bottle.
Dr. Burrow's Original Vegetable Syrup, an antidote to scurvy and a cure for venereal disease "without mercury."
Kings Ague patent tasteless ague and fever drops.
Mr Spilsbury's Scurvy Drops (Scurvy cures were offered in huge variety by John!)
Blake's sugar cakes for treating intestinal worms
Blake's vegetable lotion for chilblains. 1s6d a bottle.
Beaum de vie - A family cure- all medicine. 3s a bottle.
Bickley & Co "Febrifugue and Specific" for whooping cough and fevers. Handily due to its "penetrating nature" it's apparently absorbed into the bones and gristle of children so it can "reduce their enlarged heads and bones to normal size" Price 2s 6d a bottle.
*John Howe's shop stood close to where WH Smith is now.
To go shopping at early Victorian bookseller and stationers George Cannon, see the post here
More Marlow specific shopping costs in Historic Cost of Living Part one Here and Part 2
And information about the wages your Marlow ancestor could expect to earn is available here
More about early medical care including apothecaries and travelling medicine sellers here
Sources:
Adverts in the back of contemporary books and catalogues etc.
The following contemporary newspaper reports and advertisements from copies held at the British Library Archive and accessed via the BNA:
Reading Mercury: March 27 1786.
Oxford Journal: March 8, June 14, October 18, November 29, 1783, February 28 1784, January 22 1785
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