An Apothecary Ancestor in India – Armchair research

It is often difficult to discover details of an ancestor who was an Apothecary in India. Here I will demonstrate resources available online that I have used to build my family story.

No birth record has yet been found for my ancestor Henry Eason (1801-1879) and his name  first appears in the India Office records of the British Library on an 1825 marriage record. This church record is amongst the many which have been digitised and hosted by the subscription website findmypast, and it describes Henry as a “First Dresser” in the “Horse Artillery”. A search on the FIBIWIKI reveals that a Dresser was not a precursor of Jeeves the butler – as the name might suggest. Dresser was, in fact, a position in the subordinate/lower medical service given to persons of Eurasian or Indian birth and was the first stage towards a career as an apothecary (Assistant Surgeon). As a Dresser, Henry Eason would probably have worked with a military medical team by fetching and carrying, bandaging, etc.

A Fibiwiki article on Apothecaries explains that in the Bengal Presidency a formal scheme to train boys as Apothecaries began in 1812 when 24 boys of 14 or 15 years of age were selected from the Upper and Lower Military Orphan School.  However, in the Madras Presidency, where Henry resided, young Dressers may have been more openly enrolled and they received their training in the Madras General Hospital.

My ancestor, Jane Amelia Eason was the first of eleven children to be born to Henry and his wife, Elizabeth, between the years 1826 and 1852 and via the various baptismal records of these children, (held amongst the India Office records and also digitised by findmypast) I can trace Henry’s career progression from Dresser (1825) to 2nd Apothecary (1837) and Apothecary (1842) before he became pensioned (1844). The baptism in in 1837 indicated that he had moved from the Horse Artillery and was now attached to HM 62nd regiment.

Various annual directories online  (East India Register/Oriental herald/Asiatic monthly) covering the period also sporadically announced the births of Henry’s children – thus giving further confirmation of dates and career positions. Occasionally there was also a little extra information. For example Padburys Oriental Herald of 1839 found on  googlebooks noted “Apothecary H Eason, late promotion to the garrison of Fort St George” This would have followed his attachment to the 62nd regiment aforementioned in 1837 and indicates the period of promotion from assistant Apothecary to a senior Apothecary.

The British Library catalogue mentions a  a listing for him 1838-1842 respecting proceedings relating to forfeiture of house rent on account of occupation of public quarters – and, again, this coincides with his posting to Fort St George

Another record of interest was the list of the contributors to the Madras Apothecary Fund 1829 – which is available on the FIBIS database. This confirmed that my researched snapshot of Henry’s life at 1829 was correct as it showed his occupational rank and number of children under 18years.

Henry’s was a pensioned Apothecary when he died in 1879. His burial record and will are held amongst the India Office Records at the British Library –and both are digitised on findmypast. His burial record shows his age and from that his approximate year of birth could be calculated.  In his will he mentions leaving to his second wife “whatever pension according to the rules of the apothecary fund she as my widow on my demise would be entitled”.

Henry’s career as outlined above can be double-checked via the Madras Army Lists if visiting the British Library. These are held under the reference L/Mil/17. These early records list only Assistant Apothecaries and Apothecaries (not Dressers) and show date promotions/rank were obtained. However this is just an added nicety to the fairly full career outline, as shown, that might be found from the comfort of your own armchair!