Francis Baines & John Stantial

Wine & Spirit Merchants etc.

    Robert Scott, born Farlam, Cumberland, in 1823, was a bookseller and druggist at 36 High Street until around 1857 when John Stantial acquired the premises and moved his business there and began trading as Stantial late Scott. Shortly after his arrival in Corsham from London, Robert Scott married his first wife, Sarah Vincent, second daughter of the late Mr. Morris & Susanna Vincent of Melksham, at Corsham on 27th April 1850 (by the Rev. W. C. Bennett).  Morris Vincent, Sarah's father, had married Susannah Smith in Somerton, Somerset, on 19th August 1816, he had died in 1826 aged 41 and was buried in Melksham on 17th Jan. Sarah Vincent was born in 1821 and baptised on 22nd July in Melksham; her younger sister Elizabeth was baptised on 2nd March 1823. Morris's widow, Susannah (Susan) Vincent, had moved to Corsham High Street as a bookseller by 1830 (J. Pigot. Commercial Directory) but died in 1838 leaving the daughters to run the business. In the 1841 census, Sarah Vincent's older sister, Susannah Dyer Vincent (b.3rd June 1819 and bapt. 1st Aug. at Abbey Independent, Romsey, Hants.) was running the stationers next door to Christopher Stantial's tailor shop. She married Josiah Ranger at Temple church, Bristol, on 4th March 1845. Robert's wife Sarah Scott died at Easton Road, Bristol, on the 19th October 1858.

    Robert Scott married Anna Priscilla Porter at St. John's, Bedminster on 12th July 1860, by then he was living at Hanover Villa, Coronation Road, Bedminster and was a Hop Merchant and Maltster.  By 1881 Robert was a Maltster and Hop Dealer at the Grove, Station Road, Freshford near Bradford-on Avon. He died on 21st June 1883 at Winyatt Lodge, Limpley Stoke. He had previously been resident in Bristol (St. Paul & St. James) at 2 Hill View House (where he appeared in the 1871 census) and at Eildon Villa, Cotham-side.

    John Stantial was born in Melksham, the son of Christopher Stantial, a tailor, originating from Lacock & Catharine Long of Chippenham who were married in Chippenham on 4th Sept. 1815. He was baptised at the Melksham Independent Chapel on 30th March 1817. Around 1821 the family moved to Corsham where Christopher took a shop in the High Street next door to what would become Susan Vincent's, Booksellers, and later, Robert Scott, who was a bookseller and druggist at that address until around 1853 when Robert was advertising his business for sale, he didn't actually leave for another 3 years.  John Stantial married Sarah Taylor at Corsham Independent Chapel on Tuesday 21st Dec. 1841 and was trading as a chemist in Corsham from at least that date. In  the 1851 census Christopher Stantial still lived next door to Scott's Book & Chemist shop in the High Street, John Stantial had a Chemist & Wine & Spirit Merchants a little farther along northwards, beyond Henry Spackman's shop. John's wife Sarah died in 1847. There was a surviving son from this marriage, Edward Stephen Taylor Stantial born 30th Oct. 1842. John married his second wife, Mary Vincent (1816-1893), eldest daughter of the late Samuel Vincent of Melksham, on 23rd May 1850 at the Independent Chapel there, by Rev. W. Jackson.

     John Stantial died in Corsham on 16th April 1885. 




Small Stone Jar (handle broken) Stantial1.jpgStantial3.jpg
Impressed: J. STANTIAL / Wine & Spirit Merchant / CORSHAM.




Potter: unknown. Height 17.3cm.

1 Gallon (fragment) & Small Stone Jar Stantial2.jpg
Impressed: STANTIAL / Spirit Merchant / CORSHAM.





Potter: Price, Bristol. Height of small jar 21.3cm.

Half Gallon Stone Jar Stantial5.jpg
Impressed: STANTIAL / Wine & Spirit Merchant / CORSHAM.




Potter: not marked, Bristol. 26cm high.
Image courtesy Michael Squires.

2 Gallon Stone Jar Stantial4.jpg
Impressed: STANTIAL / Spirit Merchant / CORSHAM.




Potter: F. Melsom, Potter, Bristol.
Image courtesy Michael Squires.

Francis Baines, Family and Dispensing Chemist, Wine and Spirit Merchant, - Corsham Stationery Warehouse, High Street, Corsham - Practical pharmacy in the highest phases of its modern development finds an able representative and exponent at Corsham in the person of Mr. Francis Baines, who about twelve years ago, in his capacity as a fully-qualified chemist by examination, acquired the business over which he now presides with such vigour and success, and which had been organised between thirty and forty years ago. The business is now of a triple character, as indicated by the style and title designated above. The spacious double-fronted shop is appropriately divided into a pharmacy on the one side and into a first-class stationery depot on the other, where in addition to all manner of stationery and fancy articles up to date, Mr. Baines does a very substantial bookselling business, including the regular distribution of news- papers and periodical publications. In his pharmacy Mr. Baines, who is the only fully-qualified chemist in Corsham, operates in every branch of his profession, devoting the most careful and competent attention to the dispensing of physicians' prescriptions and the compounding of family recipes, and by the use of drugs and chemicals of ascertained purity and standard strength has won the full confidence and esteem of the leading local practitioners and the liberal support of a large and influential family connection. In his third department Mr. Baines does a sound and substantial trade as a general wine and spirit merchant, and dealer in all manner of popular mineral waters and aerated drinks, and his house stands high in the estimation of a very large and widespread connection, by reason of the sound methods and honourable principles which have always characteriscd its business transactions. (Progress Commerce: 1893-The Ports of the Bristol Channel)

    Francis Baines was born in South Hamlet, Gloucester and baptised 2nd Aug. 1857. On 23rd May 1881, Francis  youngest son of John Baines Esq. of Corsham and Maria George, marries Martha Dare Holmes, daughter of Charles Earl Holmes Esq. , a Butcher, of 80 Bridge Road, Battersea and Mary Ann, at St. Mary's, Battersea. Francis' father John was formerly a chemist in Gloucester. This link to Corsham Civic Society has more info on the family from an early Church magazine.

    Francis became a well known local poultry expert and kept white Wyandotte hens. One laid 588 eggs in 3 years.

    John Baines left Gloucester in 1863, his notice appearing in the Gloucester Journal - Saturday 25 July 1863:

JOHN BAINES,

93, SOUTHGATE STREET

    IN retiring from Business, returns his sincere thanks to his Friends and the Public generally for the distinguished patronage he has been favoured with during his residence in this city, as a DISPENSING CHEMIST, and to the Medical Gentlemen in particular, for the courteous and liberal countenance they have afforded him. J. B. respectfully solicits a continuance of those favours for his successor, MR. JAMES FRANKLIN, whom he confidently hopes will prove worthy of their support.


JAMES FRANKLIN

    IN Entering upon the above Business, begs to assure the Gentlemen of the Medical Profession, the Friends of Mr. Baines, and the Public generally, that it will be his constant care to keep every article connected with Chemistry and Pharmacy of the purest quality, and to pay the most scrupulous PERSONAL attention to all PRESCRIPTIONS and orders entrusted to him, by which means he hopes to obtain that confidence and support it will ever be his most anxious care to merit.

    Gloucester, 24th July 1863.

    John, who was born in Bradford-on-Avon, firstly after the move, set up shop in Bank Street, Melksham, until 1871 whence he moved to Corsham and appears there in the census of that year.


Pint Beer Bottle Baines3.jpgBaines1.jpg
Embossing: F. BAINES / Bottler / CORSHAM.




Glassmakers: Powell & Ricketts, Bristol. (Internal Screw Stopper) Height: 10". (Right hand image for height comparison).

Pint Beer Bottle Baines2.jpg
Embossing: F. BAINES / Bottler / CORSHAM.




Glassmakers: Powell & Ricketts, Bristol. (Cork Stopper). Height: 9.5".

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