The 150th anniversary of the death of Jacob Bell, founder of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, was remembered on Friday 12 June at a ceremony at his memorial in Woodbury Park Cemetery, Royal Tunbridge Wells.

President of the Society Steve Churton and the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Councillor Leonard Price, were invited by the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery to plant medicinal shrubs around the memorial, which has recently been restored by the Society to mark the anniversary.

The past President of the British Society for the History of Pharmacy, (BSHP), Dr Michael Jepson, also took part in the ceremony, unveiling a plaque to mark BSHP’s funding of the medicinal plants.

Bell was a pioneering pharmacist, who founded the Society in 1841. He was also an MP, an art collector and a business advisor to a circle of artists including Sir Edwin Landseer. He died aged 49 at Summerhill House, Tunbridge Wells, in 1859.

President Steve Churton said: “Jacob Bell led the way in developing the status of pharmacy. In establishing the Society, he created the basis of the profession of which generations have been proud to belong. It’s an honour to be at his memorial to remember his many achievements and we intend to carry forward his energy and passion for pharmacy in the years to come.”

The Mayor said: “We are proud that Royal Tunbridge Wells is the final resting place of the distinguished Victorian pharmacist Jacob Bell, who founded the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Now, 150 years on from his death, it is a fitting tribute that the Society, in association with the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery, has restored his memorial. Now we may all honour his achievements in the tranquil and green surroundings of this unique heritage site”.

The day also included the launch of a booklet, Jacob Bell: a useful and honourable life, co-written by Briony Hudson, Keeper of the Society’s Museum Collections and June Bridgeman of the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery.

The booklet Jacob Bell: a useful and honourable life costs £4.50 including P&P and is available from The Secretary, Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery, Bridge House, Culverden Park Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9QX. To buy a copy, please send a cheque (made payable to “FWPC”. All proceeds go towards conservation work by the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) is the professional and regulatory body for pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales. It also regulates pharmacy technicians on a voluntary basis, which will become statutory from 1 July 2009. The primary objectives of the RPSGB are to lead, regulate, develop and represent the profession of pharmacy.

The RPSGB leads and supports the development of the profession within the context of the public benefit. This includes the advancement of science, practice, education and knowledge
in pharmacy. In addition, it promotes the profession’s policies and views to a range of external stakeholders in a number of different forums.

Following the publication in 2007 of the Government White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety - The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century, the RPSGB is working towards the demerger of its regulatory and professional roles. This will see the establishment of a new General Pharmaceutical Council and a new professional body for pharmacy in 2010.

Source
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

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