Catalogue description Farley's Health Products Ltd, Plymouth

Records, including accounts, production, marketing and sales of Farley's Health Products.

[see also accession Plymouth and West Devon Record Office 2162 for minute book 1919-1938]

Farley's Health Products Ltd, Plymouth, Devon

• Trahair, William Bolitho, fl 1912, of Plymouth
• Food production

Farley's Health Products Limited started life in 1857 as a baker's shop, run by Mr Samuel Farley, at 90 Cambridge Street, Plymouth. In 1862 he transferred premises to 7, Exeter Street and in 1912 Edwin Farley sold the business, including the secret formula for Farley's rusks to Mr William Bolitho Trahair, prior to emigrating to Canada. William Trahair, a well-known Liberal, and Methodist lay-preacher marketed proprietary lines, such as Globe Metal Polish and John Master's matches, from his shop Globe Stores, 58-59 Notte Street, Plymouth.

In 1915 Trahair moved the Exeter Street bakery to 14 Notte Street and in 1919 the Trahair family formed Farley's Infant Food Limited. During the 1920's, the business transferred to Woolster Street and gave up its agencies to concentrate on rusk production.

A new model factory was built in 1931 at Torr Lane, Peverell, Plymouth and the Company expanded rapidly, until the Glaxo Group took over operations in 1968. In 1986 Boots The Chemist Limited bought the Farley's interest from Glaxo and operations continued at the Torr Lane site until the factory shut in 1990. It is now the site of a supermarket.

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