Florence Boot

5^th July 2024 Florence Boot  Sian Trafford       

Sian began by commenting that Boots were synonymous with Nottingham. Jesse learnt his trade from his mother who processed herbs in the first shop on Goosegate in 1891 and working there from when he was 13 following his father’s death.

Jesse suffered with his health and whilst convalescing in Jersey he met Florence and despite her being 12 years his junior eventually they quickly married. Florence had worked in her father’s stationers’ shop, giving her excellent grounding in selling and dealing with customers, always with the belief that shop work was a dignified profession. Their ‘flagship’ Boot’s shop opened in1892 in Pelham Street, Nottingham, advancing from a chemists to a department store through Florence's creative and artistic flair, progressing to 7 shops. By 1893 it was 33 shops growing to 250 by 1900. She had travelled the world to source the various items they sold, but in 1899 they had their first son, John, quickly followed by a 2^nd son that unfortunately died, then two girls, Dorothy and Marjorie, but she carried on working. She had a well-developed ‘social conscience’, with a ‘motherly interest’ in “her Boots girls”, introducing the provision of breakfasts and the appointment of a part time welfare officer, eventually becoming full time in 1911, (Eleanor Kelly). She started a range of welfare outings and excursions, including walks, team games, trips to Castleton and culminating in 500 staff being taken to Skegness. The largest ever excursion of 5000 staff being taken to the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley in 1924, and opened by the King and Queen.

Jesse and Florence built a house called Plaisaunce on the Trent embankment with a sports ground. In the first World war they held events there and Flag days to raise funds.  They gifted 36 acres of land on the N. bank for’ people in the City’ and had 11 rent free properties built in Wilford in 1908 (Dorothy Boot Homes).  Various houses were purchased throughout the country for holidays and convalescence for their staff, some catering exclusively for women. (Trusthorpe, Barton, The Knowle at Gt. Missenden.) In 1898 she bought a large collection of second hand books which she sited at the back of the store, creating the Boots Book Lovers’ Library ( A London Librarian called Mercer Stretch was so fascinated by this action, he cycled from London to Nottingham and eventually became her librarian, also establishing libraries in Jersey and Weymouth and Parcel Post Books. She invested in her staff’s education with ½ day study for 14- to 16-year-olds and in 1920 created Boot’s Continuation School and were involved in Highfields Park establishing East Midlands University (Nottingham) in 1919. This had a Women’s Hall of residence for 100 students in 1928 (Florence Boot Hall)

In 1921 they retired to Jersey purchasing Villa Millbrook in St. Helier and built 22 cottages for families there as well as the FB Playing Fields (for Florence and the Governor Frances Bingham). In 1920 Sir Jesse sold Boots to Louis Liggett, from an American Pharmaceutical firm, as Sir John was considered more of a ‘playboy’ than businessman, but Louis made Sir John a director and after Jesse died in 1931, John bought the Boots company back in 1933, the same year the 1000^th Boots store was opened in Galashiels. Florence donated Sir Jesse’s Rolls Royce to the City for use as an ambulance after his death. In 2014 Boots was no longer English ownership, being sold to Walgreens Boots Alliance (US),

Ian Torr proposed the vote of thanks, mentioning that his Father and Mother both worked for Boots all their life and He and his 3 siblings really enjoyed visiting the Pelham Street store, mentioning Boots discount and the Sports events and Social Club He commented that he really enjoyed Sian’s talk delivered with enthusiasm, humour and many facts, providing some of the interesting local history and asked members to join him with a warm round of applause.            AR