Well Pharmacy

HOUSE: Now shop and accommodation over. Mid C18, altered late C18 and early C20, when converted to shop. Grade II listed.

Frederick Cooper took over the Swaffham Pharmacy at the turn of the century, retaining its agricultural focus.

During World War I an extension was built at the rear to house a 400 gallon paraffin tank – paraffin being the main lighting fuel for houses in the town and surrounding villages. He also had two sheep dipping tubs hired out to farmers.

It was he who decided to change the name of the pharmacy to Ceres Pharmacy, reflecting the figure on the town’s Buttercross. Retiring in 1936 he formed the limited company Cooper & Co and sold the business in 1951.

The company was wound up in 1974 but the name still continued, either as Ceres or Ceres House Pharmacy, until sometime after 1999 when it became part of the Well Pharmacy Group.

Watching an event on the Marketplace at the Cottage Hospital’s Fancy Fair 1932. The photograph shows Bayfields, Coopers and Hannants.

This building has been in continuous use as a pharmacy for almost 200 years since 1829 when a William Smith opened a chemist’s and druggist’s shop. When he died seven years later his widow continued the business selling, as well as prescriptions and family recipes, “Spices, Fish Sauces, Perfumery, &c. Horse and Cattle Medicines–Oils and Colours” Bury and Norwich Post 1836

In 1839 James Rust was the druggist here until George Dunger took over in 1858, possibly in a form of partnership with John Gardner, who had a chemist’s shop on the north side of the Market Place.

There seems to have been collaboration between both of these chemist shops for some years.

The next proprietor, and chemist, was Parson Custance Baker who took over from George Dunger in 1866 to about 1876 when the business was bought by Frederick Robinson Bell. He ran the shop until his sudden death in 1898.