Howards and Sons was a pharmaceutical business established in 1797 by Quaker chemists William Allen and Luke Howard under the name 'Allen & Howard'. The business consisted of a dispensing pharmacy in Plough Court managed by Allen and a laboratory in Plaistow, Essex managed by Howard. Allen and Howard amicably dissolved their business in 1805 with each keeping their respective sections.
As Howard's chemical manufacturing business grew, new premises were needed and he shifted the laboratory to City Mills, Stratford where it flourished over the 19th century becoming Howards and Sons in 1858. It was under this title that it became a well-known supplier of quinine and aspirin.
Notable partners include John Eliot Howard, son of Luke Howard, who became a specialist in cinchona bark identification and quinine-related research, and Joseph Jewell (1763–1846).
Manufacture of chemicals ceased in 1975.
The business-related archives are located at the London Metropolitan Archives, Redbridge Heritage Centre and John Eliot Howard's cinchona archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Table showing selected iterations of Howards and Sons 1797-19 +YearsNamePartnersLocation & notes1797–1806Allen & HowardWilliam Allen, Luke HowardPlaistow, Essex1805–1806L. Howard & Co.Luke HowardCity Mills, Stratford from 18061807–1823Howard, Jewell & GibsonLuke Howard, Joseph Jewell & John Gibson1824–1830Howard, Jewell, Gibson & HowardLuke Howard, Joseph Jewell, John Gibson & Robert HowardLuke Howard and Joseph Jewell retired on 31 December 18301832–1837 or 1841Howard, Gibson & Co.John Gibson, Robert Howard, John Eliot Howard, Robert Gibson & John Kent1841–1858Howards & Kent1858–1903Howards & SonsRobert died in 1871, after which John Eliot became a sleeping partner. David and Dillworth Howard took on management.1875, parts of factory destroyed by fire; 1898 Moved to Ilford1903 onwardsHowards & Sons LtdWider members of the Howard family1914 City Mills lease dissolved. Up until 1949, Howards and Sons existed with many subsidiaries not detailed here.1961Howards of IlfordLaporte Industries Ltd takeover1975Bilstar LtdRenamed and chemical manufacture ceases.
References