A selection of shopping possibilities at George Cannon's chemist come booksellers from 1829-1858. This was in Market Square and then later in the High Street. (Latter premises below)
Buy tickets and consult a seat plan to secure the best spot at the Town Hall for the one night only "Woodman's Olio of Curiosities". This 1858 show involved performers with a hundred changes of character, voice and costume to produce an original "mimical, musical and polygraphic" entertainment. Original sounds the right word! Price 3s for the stalls, 2s for the rest except 1s for backseats. Starts 8pm, tell your carriage to call for you at 10pm when all is over.
Tickets to the Ball held in the Town Hall to mark end of the Races, 1844 -8s including refreshments.
Anti bilious stomach pills - "Strengthens digestive organs" Prepared by George Cooper of Reading rather than by our George.
Alternatively try Dr Sydenham's Anti bilious pills which are also unrivalled for "spasms", nervous headaches and liver complaints. Guaranteed to clear your intestines of bile. Mercury free and "suitable for females." 1s 1 and 1/2d a bottle.
Take a look at book proposals on display at George's, and if you decide you would like to see it published, you can subscribe to help meet the production costs. In exchange you will be able to buy the finished volume for a reduced price, and if you give enough, you might see your name credited as belonging to a subscriber within the book itself. On other occasions you might be thanked in an ad promoting the books publication. George is a printer, and will print some of the proposed volumes himself. In 1829, one of the proposed volumes is a book of Psalms and Hymns which will cost 10s if you subscribe, 12s otherwise.
Fothergills Nervous drops - for low spirits, fainting fits, hysteria, and relaxation of the system - 4s 6d a bottle.
Dr James Fever powder - 2s9d a packet. Also cures rheumatism and shortens duration of colds.
Butlers Cayenne Lozenges - for habitual sore throats. Also acts a stimulus for fatigue. 2s a box. Also offers "digestive candy" with rhubarb and ginger 2s a box.
Marshalls universal cream - for sore and ulcerated legs, burns and sores - 1s 1d
Birds Hygein (sic) Antiscorbotic Pills - cures leprosy, scurvy, cancer, kings evil, facial blotches, glandular swellings. Also available as an ointment. 1s 1+1/2 d per box of pills or same price for pot of ointment.
Perry's essence for tooth and earache - 1s1d a bottle
Pococks gangrene embrocation - for ewes! Will also deal with bites from "bites of venomous reptiles" George also sells other patent medicines for farm animals, mostly sheep. He is also an agent for Potter's guano, guaranteed to make your crops grow.
Mays Matchless Sauce - a savoury sauce, not medicinal 1s 6d Not the obvious thing in our eyes to buy from a bookseller and chemist! Charles May was a chemist located in the Butter Market, Reading and prepared this on his premises along with the other Mays items listed below. He then dispatched them to local agents such as George.
May's indelible ink (for marking linen) - 1s 6d
May's Camphorated Vegetable Dentifrice. (A tooth cleaning powder used with water) 1s 1+1/2d a box. Higgs Dentifrice powder costs the same and promises to preserve and beautify the teeth. Prepared in Maidenhead by chemist J Higgs.)
Tooth cleaning brushes in the latest most approved patterns
May's Medicated Honey for gentlemen "incommodated" by shaving, nursing mothers, and those with chapped lips, hands or feet.
Blairs Gout and Rheumatic pills - to prevent the disease "flying to your brain"
Roses celebrated botanic cream - prevents hair going grey or falling out and makes it glossy as well. One trial will convince of it's superior qualities, or so they say!
A lithographic print of the iron chain suspension bridge now erecting at Great Marlow 1830. Print executed from a drawing made that shows how it will be once complete. 5s each, or 7s 6d on india paper. Produced by George on the premises.
John Cassells roast Coffee - the first for quality in the Empire. Available in air tight sealed packages from 1-8 oz or 1/2 - 1lb canisters. George also sold tea.
Consult a visiting dentist who sets up at George's - "decayed teeth restored", every Wednesday in 1838.
Want to do more historic shopping? Find out what you could buy at John Howes patent medicine and stationers premises here
And take a look at the Historic Cost of Living posts specific to Marlow - Part one and Part 2
And information about wages your Marlow ancestor could expect to earn here
Interested in patent medicine? A post about Marlow apothecaries and other early forms of medical care can be found here
More about George
George was behind the building of Cannon's Row (now called Platts Row) in Mill Road - see here for pictures and more info.
And this post here for an over view of George's life, and a picture of his High Street premises plus an image of his grave.
SOURCES
Post Office Directory Of Chemists & Druggists, Vol 2 (Kelly's Directory Ltd, 1870)
Windsor and Eton Express February 7th 1829, copy from the British Library and accessed via the BNA
Reading Mercury -7 & 30 May & 15 November 1830, 3 January & 21 February 1831, 13 October 1834, 23 February & 10 October 1835, 24 October & 5 November 1836, 4 February & 5 August 1837, 30 May 1840, 17 February 1844, 5 April 1845, 23 November 1848, 23 November 1850, May 10 1851, 06 March 1858 as above
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