Page 9 - Antique Advertising & Breweriana Auction Sunday 22 November

31. ALLEN & HANBURYS JUJUBES & PASTLLES CABINET. 31 x 12 x 8.5ins. An extremely stylish sleek ebonised cabinet with 2 internal glass shelves, large pedestal base. Pediment of carved wood with glass inset - black background with gold lettering & pictorial to centre.
William Allen, FRS, also a Quaker & well known scientist, joined the firm in 1792 and rose quickly to become the dominant personality. His second wife was a member of the Hanbury family who had produced several learned scientists. On Allen’s death, the Hanbury family assumed control of the company.
Daniel Hanbury, FRS a pharmacologist, & also a partner, was instrumental in making the name of Allen and Hanburys still more well known due to his correspondence with scientists all over the world. Growth of the company was continuous, but it was in the second
part of the 19th century developments on a large scale took place with factories built at Ware, Hertfordshire, and Bethnal Green in East London.
The factory at Ware specialised in infants’ foods, dietetic products, medicated pastilles, malt preparations as well as galenical preparations, beginning production in 1892. The brands included Allenburys No1 and No2 foods (essentially milk foods for babies up
to 6 months) & Allenburys No 3 (malted farinaceous food, six months & older). Allenburys Diet was a “stimulating beverage” for invalids, convalescents and the aged. Allenburys Rusks were a suitable first solid food for infants.
Allenburys claimed to be pioneers in Great Britain in the production of pastilles, the Ware factory also produced Allenburys Glycerine &
Black Currant Pastilles amongst another 80 different kinds of medicated and crystallised pastilles.
Later design of tin for “Allenburys” blackcurrant pastilles
Rear door with mirrored back. Enamelled makers plaque
for O C Hawkes Ltd/ Manufacturers/ Globe
The business was founded in 1715 in Old Plough Court, Lombard Street, London, by Silvanus Bevan, a Welshman, apothecary and a Quaker. Bevan and his brother Timothy, who became his partner & later succeeded him, were known for their just dealings & integrity and quality of their drugs. The company grew into a respected pharmaceutical centre and had established a strong reputation with American doctors by the late 18th century. The West Indies was also an important destination for their products.
Works/ Birmingham.
Malt preparations & malt extract were
also made at Ware, including “Byno” preparations, malt extract with cod liver oil. Some appeared under
the name of Allenburys Bynol, Torch, Brand Malt & Oil, often specially packed for chemists & other dealers bearing their own name & address.
Allen and Hanburys was one of the first manufacturers of cod liver oil in Great Britain with factories in the Lofoten Islands (Norway) as well as Hull and Aberdeen taking cod directly from the North Sea.
The Bethnal Green factory carried much of the administrative
and scientific side of the business including research, analytical control, chemistry, pharmacy & pharmacology. In this plant galenical preparations, pills, tablets, capsules & other classes of pharmaceutical & medical goods were prepared.
The Bethnal Green plant also produced surgical instruments mainly in stainless steel including “Barts” operating tables. Another product was the Cromwell House Super
Sensitive Baby Scale cast iron
weighing scales) designed to
accurate weighing babies during
test feeding or research.
The company had overseas
branches in Lindsay, Ontario,
Durban, India, Shanghai, Australia
& Buenos Aires, plus agencies
in many other countries. The
company address was for many
years at 37 Lombard Street,
London EC.