Benjamin Brandreth
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Brandreth was a pioneer in the early use of mass advertising
to build consumer awareness of his product, a purgative that allegedly cured many ills by purging toxins out of the blood. He became a successful and wealthy businessman, bank president, and New York State Senator.
, England
, on 23 June 1809, the son of William Holmes (1775–1809) and Ann Brandreth Holmes (1785–1877). His father abandoned the family while Benjamin was young and he was raised by his mother and maternal grandfather William Brandreth, whose surname he adopted. He emigrated to the United States in 1835 with his three children shortly after the death of his second wife, Harriet Smallpage, hoping to find a bigger market than he had in England for his “Vegetable Universal Pill” invented by his grandfather, William Brandreth. The formula was a powerful cathartic
and played off the popular notion that impurity of the blood was the source of many ills Establishing himself on Hudson Street
in New York City
, Brandreth eventually found success marketing his pills prompting a move to a larger facility which he built in Sing Sing, (later Ossining (village), New York
) in 1838. Brandreth was a pioneer in using the then-infant technique of mass advertising
in building brand
awareness to create a mass market
for his product. Brandreth created and published a wide variety of advertising material for his pills, including a 224 page tome entitled The Doctrine of Purgation, Curiosities from Ancient and Modern Literature, from Hippocrates and Other Medical Writers. His advertising copy had a distinctly literary flavor which found favor with the public. Brandreth widely distributed his books and pamphlets throughout the country as well as taking copious advertising space in newspapers. Eventually his pills became one of the best selling patent medicine
s in the United States “…A congressional committee in 1849 reported that Brandreth was the nation’s largest proprietary advertiser… Between 1862 and 1863 Brandreth’s average annual gross income surpassed $600,000…” For fifty years Brandreth’s name was a household word in the United States Indeed, the Brandreth pills were so well known they received mention in Herman Melville
's classic Moby Dick.
The Brandreth Pill Factory
complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
NY. The bank was incorporated on 21 July 1853 and was merged into Federal First Fidelity Bank on 30 December 1993. In 1857 he built the Brandreth Hotel near Canal and Broadway in New York City.
”. The Park remains in the family today and incorporates a number of cabins and cottages in a preserved wilderness setting.
in Westchester County, New York
and represented the district in the New York State Senate
from 1850 to 1851 and from 1858 to 1859. In 1856 he narrowly lost election to the United States Congress to John W. Ferdon
. He was active in a number of Democratic State conventions.
). He was an early subscriber to the fundraising effort to build the Trinity Church in that town. He was one of the founders of the New York Eclectic Medical College
, which he supported financially throughout his life. In 1874, he presented the building used by the College to Dr. Robert S. Newton and his associates. Brandreth was active in the Masons
who took charge of his funeral with full honors.
Brandreth was married three times; first to Susan Leeds from whom he was divorced a few months after the marriage. His second wife was Harriet Smallpage to whom he was married 7 years until her death, and third to Virginia Graham. He had 3 children with his second wife, among them George A. Brandreth
, and 10 with his third. He is the great-great-grandfather of Gyles Brandreth
.
The impact Brandreth had on the local community of Sing Sing was noted by the account in the New York Times which stated that at the time of his death
Brandreth's funeral was held at the Trinity Church which could hold only a fraction of the mourners in attendance. Others lined the streets to the Dale Cemetery
where he was buried. His body was in a wrought metal and bronze casket hermetically sealed with a full length plate glass top. The procession to the cemetery included carriages for the clergymen and pallbearers, the 16th Battalion brass band, the hearse with a bodyguard of 8 Masonic knights, and carriages for 150 friends and family, stretching out over a mile in length, so that the first carriages were arriving at the cemetery at about the same time as the last were leaving the church.
and the name of the firm eventually changed to Allcock Manufacturing. After Brandreth's death, control of the firm eventually moved to his great-grandson, Fox Brandreth Conner, who began manufacturing animal traps along with pills and plasters. After a pause in production for World War II
, production of the traps resumed and the Havahart brand became a registered trademark. Conner sold the pill and plaster business in the 1960s thus ending Brandreth's medical legacy, but continued making the Havahart traps. In 1979 the Havahart trap business was sold to the Woodstream Corporation of Lititz, Pennsylvania, and the remaining property in Ossining was sold to Filex Steel Products Company. The remaining 34 employees in Ossining were offered jobs in Pennsylvania with the new owner, but many retired, thus ending the 142 year legacy of Brandreth's enterprise.
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
to build consumer awareness of his product, a purgative that allegedly cured many ills by purging toxins out of the blood. He became a successful and wealthy businessman, bank president, and New York State Senator.
Brandreth's Pills
Brandreth was born in Newtown, DerbyshireNewtown, Derbyshire
Newtown is an area of the town of New Mills in the High Peak borough of Derbyshire, England. It is situated west of New Mills proper, on the road to Disley. The county boundary between Cheshire and Derbyshire divides the area between the two counties...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on 23 June 1809, the son of William Holmes (1775–1809) and Ann Brandreth Holmes (1785–1877). His father abandoned the family while Benjamin was young and he was raised by his mother and maternal grandfather William Brandreth, whose surname he adopted. He emigrated to the United States in 1835 with his three children shortly after the death of his second wife, Harriet Smallpage, hoping to find a bigger market than he had in England for his “Vegetable Universal Pill” invented by his grandfather, William Brandreth. The formula was a powerful cathartic
Cathartic
In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation. This is in contrast to a laxative, which is a substance which eases defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathartic...
and played off the popular notion that impurity of the blood was the source of many ills Establishing himself on Hudson Street
Hudson Street
Hudson Street may refer to:* Hudson Street , 2000 debut album by Northern Irish electronic duo Agnelli & Nelson* Hudson Street , north/south oriented street in the New York City borough of Manhattan...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Brandreth eventually found success marketing his pills prompting a move to a larger facility which he built in Sing Sing, (later Ossining (village), New York
Ossining (village), New York
Ossining is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 25,060 at the 2010 census. As a village, it is located in the Town of Ossining.-Geography:Ossining borders the eastern shores of the widest part of the Hudson River....
) in 1838. Brandreth was a pioneer in using the then-infant technique of mass advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
in building brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
awareness to create a mass market
Mass market
The mass market is a general business term describing the largest group of consumers for a specified industry product. It is the opposite extreme of the term niche market.-General:...
for his product. Brandreth created and published a wide variety of advertising material for his pills, including a 224 page tome entitled The Doctrine of Purgation, Curiosities from Ancient and Modern Literature, from Hippocrates and Other Medical Writers. His advertising copy had a distinctly literary flavor which found favor with the public. Brandreth widely distributed his books and pamphlets throughout the country as well as taking copious advertising space in newspapers. Eventually his pills became one of the best selling patent medicine
Patent medicine
Patent medicine refers to medical compounds of questionable effectiveness sold under a variety of names and labels. The term "patent medicine" is somewhat of a misnomer because, in most cases, although many of the products were trademarked, they were never patented...
s in the United States “…A congressional committee in 1849 reported that Brandreth was the nation’s largest proprietary advertiser… Between 1862 and 1863 Brandreth’s average annual gross income surpassed $600,000…” For fifty years Brandreth’s name was a household word in the United States Indeed, the Brandreth pills were so well known they received mention in Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
's classic Moby Dick.
The Brandreth Pill Factory
Brandreth Pill Factory
The former Brandreth Pill Factory is a historic industrial complex located on Water Street in Ossining, New York, United States. It consists of several brick buildings from the 19th century, in a variety of contemporary architectural styles...
complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
Other business interests
A prominent businessman, Brandreth was among the original founders and was the first President of the Westchester County Savings Bank in TarrytownTarrytown
Tarrytown is the name of some places in the United States of America:*Tarrytown, New York*Tarrytown, Florida*Tarrytown, Georgia*Tarrytown, Austin, Texas*Sleepy Hollow, New York, formerly known as North Tarrytown...
NY. The bank was incorporated on 21 July 1853 and was merged into Federal First Fidelity Bank on 30 December 1993. In 1857 he built the Brandreth Hotel near Canal and Broadway in New York City.
Brandreth Park
In 1851 Brandreth bought 26000 acres (105.2 km²) in the Adirondacks of New York State for 15 cents an acre establishing the first private preserve in the Adirondack Park becoming known as “Brandreth ParkBrandreth Park
Brandreth Park is the oldest family-owned forest preserve in the state of New York.-Description:In 1851 Dr. Benjamin Brandreth, having made a fortune with his "Brandreth's Universal Vegetable Pills", bought Township 39 in Hamilton County of upstate New York, consisting of in the Adirondacks of New...
”. The Park remains in the family today and incorporates a number of cabins and cottages in a preserved wilderness setting.
Political activities
Brandreth was a prominent DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
and represented the district in the New York State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
from 1850 to 1851 and from 1858 to 1859. In 1856 he narrowly lost election to the United States Congress to John W. Ferdon
John W. Ferdon
John William Ferdon was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Piermont, New York, Ferdon was graduated from Rutgers College, New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1847.He studied law....
. He was active in a number of Democratic State conventions.
Civic
Brandreth was active in civic development in Sing Sing, (later Ossining, New YorkOssining (town), New York
Ossining is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 37,674 at the 2010 census. It contains two villages, the Village of Ossining and part of Briarcliff Manor, the rest of which is located in the Town of Mount Pleasant....
). He was an early subscriber to the fundraising effort to build the Trinity Church in that town. He was one of the founders of the New York Eclectic Medical College
Eclectic medicine
Eclectic medicine was a branch of American medicine which made use of botanical remedies along with other substances and physical therapy practices, popular in the latter half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries....
, which he supported financially throughout his life. In 1874, he presented the building used by the College to Dr. Robert S. Newton and his associates. Brandreth was active in the Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
who took charge of his funeral with full honors.
Family
George A. Brandreth
George Adlington Brandreth was an American lawyer, manufacturer and politician from New York-Life:...
, and 10 with his third. He is the great-great-grandfather of Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Daubeney Brandreth is a British writer, broadcaster and former Conservative Member of Parliament and junior minister.-Early life:...
.
Death
Brandreth died on 18 February 1880:- "That morning he had risen early, reaching the plant, with his eldest son, at six-thirty. He had worked an hour or so in the mixing room. Then came a stroke of apoplexyApoplexyApoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
and death. Thus, at the end as at the launching of his venture in America, Brandreth was mixing the purgative in which he so fervently believed."
The impact Brandreth had on the local community of Sing Sing was noted by the account in the New York Times which stated that at the time of his death
- “…flags have been hung at half-mast there and on Saturday all the business places of the village, including the bank, Post Office, Soldiers’ monument, and several hotels, together with innumberable private dwellings, we draped in mourning.
Brandreth's funeral was held at the Trinity Church which could hold only a fraction of the mourners in attendance. Others lined the streets to the Dale Cemetery
Dale Cemetery
The Dale Cemetery located in Ossining, New York is a town-owned cemetery encompassing and has been operational since October 1851.-Description:...
where he was buried. His body was in a wrought metal and bronze casket hermetically sealed with a full length plate glass top. The procession to the cemetery included carriages for the clergymen and pallbearers, the 16th Battalion brass band, the hearse with a bodyguard of 8 Masonic knights, and carriages for 150 friends and family, stretching out over a mile in length, so that the first carriages were arriving at the cemetery at about the same time as the last were leaving the church.
Allcock Manufacturing Company
Brandreth's pill company was known as The Brandreth Pill Works when he established operations in Ossining New York. In 1848 he bought Allcock's Porous Plaster from founder Thomas AllcockThomas Allcock
Thomas Allcock was the inventor of a plaster for pain relief and the founder of the Allcock Manufacturing Company.-Early life:Allcock was born and educated in Birmingham, England. A age 15 he studied and practiced chemistry. Alcock emigrated to the United States in 1845, settled in New York and...
and the name of the firm eventually changed to Allcock Manufacturing. After Brandreth's death, control of the firm eventually moved to his great-grandson, Fox Brandreth Conner, who began manufacturing animal traps along with pills and plasters. After a pause in production for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, production of the traps resumed and the Havahart brand became a registered trademark. Conner sold the pill and plaster business in the 1960s thus ending Brandreth's medical legacy, but continued making the Havahart traps. In 1979 the Havahart trap business was sold to the Woodstream Corporation of Lititz, Pennsylvania, and the remaining property in Ossining was sold to Filex Steel Products Company. The remaining 34 employees in Ossining were offered jobs in Pennsylvania with the new owner, but many retired, thus ending the 142 year legacy of Brandreth's enterprise.