What did a Herbalist do?

[IJDisney]

I have an ancestor, William Margrie (c.1775-1850), who is listed as a Herbalist in the 1848 Hunt & Co. Directory for Exeter & Bristol.  His son, Robert Margrie (1800-1872), appeared in the 1851, 1861 and 1871 Censuses also as a Herbalist.

William died in 1850, and prior to that (1821-1841) Robert Margrie  appears as a labourer, I assume Robert somehow took over his father's trade. William started his early life as a sawyer. I have not found him in the 1841 Census.

What was a Herbalist, and what market did he serve? It is listed separate from a chemist or druggist, and seems a rare occupation in the census/directories (there is only one occurrence in the 1848 Directory, and only 9 others in the 1851 Census + 4 Herbal Doctors).

[Maiden Stone]

Herbalist - a dealer in medicinal herbs (dictionary definition). It would have been a declining trade with advances in medicine. Customers might have been less well-off people who couldn't afford doctors' fees.
Nicholas Culpeppper and John Gerard wrote 2 of the best known books about herbal remedies.

[IJDisney]

Herbalist - a dealer in medicinal herbs (dictionary definition). It would have been a declining trade with advances in medicine. Customers might have been less well-off people who couldn't afford doctors' fees.
Nicholas Culpeppper and John Gerard wrote 2 of the best known books about herbal remedies.

I wonder what was going on locally? It doesn't look like either William or Robert were 'brought up' in the trade from childhood. They both had previous occupations before taking on herbalism as a source of income. There must have been enough trade to make that worthwhile, even if it were in decline. Maybe the local doctors didn't have a good reputation!

Or perhaps they were dealing in herbs that supplied the local doctors and pharmacist? Topsham opened its first pharmacy in 1823.

[Ruskie]

Just a wild guess here, but could a sawyer working in the forests have an in depth knowledge of plants, possibly leading to a related occupation? “Labourer” is such a broad term that perhaps Robert too was working with plants (farming?)? Do their addresses at any stage indicate where they might have “forested” or “laboured”? 

[solidrock]

 "It would have been a declining trade"  I remember a Herbalist where I lived in the 1950's.

[Ruskie]

There’s a renewed interest in all things herbal/natural/organic these days isn’t there?
Probably a trade that has it’s highs and lows.

William and Robert would probably have a very successful online business if they were around today.

[Viktoria]

Oh yes ,one very close to us up to 1965 when we moved abroad.
She had jars and jars of dried plants on shelves all round the shop.
I have mentioned in an earlier post that she gave free advice and told my sister to get rid of the many warts on her knees that she must put some of the first urine passed each morning in them and they would dry up and go
away. They did too!
Doctors had to be paid and people were very poor,then the medicine had to be bought as well.
There was also a lingering suspicion about Doctors,they often made it plain they  had only contempt for the old wives’ tales which were still strongly believed.
Like putting butter on head bumps when they swelled up,.
Putting oil on burns.
Wiping a baby’s mouth with its wet nappy when it got thrush,caused through poor hygiene when cleaning the baby’s bottles or dummy.
Rubbing styes with a gold wedding ring .
Washing a baby’s  eyes  with milk when it had conjunctivitis.
It was dangerous to wash a baby’s hair as the fontanelle was still soft.
Putting goose grease on children’s bodies then stitching then in flannel binders to keep away pneumonia.
So many practices and dangerous superstitions were still believed into the
sixties and beyond.
The herbalist may  have done harm as we now know herbs are far from being all beneficial if not understood and used in too high concentrations.
But people did seek their help when a Doctor was too expensive for extremely poor people.
Viktoria.


 contempt

[IJDisney]

William Margarie made his will in 1839 and left his "drugs stock in Trade" to his wife, but that he wished his wife to pass on the "Stock in Trade and the good will thereof" to his son Robert when she felt he deserved it. Presumably she felt he did, since William died in 1850 and Robert is a herbalist in the 1851 Census.

I have also found out that Robert Margary (the son) kept quantities of vitriol (presumably vitriolic acid). Any ideas what that would have been used for in the herbal medicine business? 

[Maiden Stone]

Vitriol - sulphuric acid or any of its salts.