In 1870 Queen Victoria decreed: ‘Let women be what God intended, a helpmate for man, but with totally different duties and vocations.’
However, there was one woman determined to flout such societal norms: Lady Florence Boot.
Such was her ambition, in 1913, the Bystander magazine wrote that she ‘was the most wonderful example of the modern business woman’
Born into a working class family in Jersey, Florence went on to shape Britain’s high street in a monumental way. While running Boots with her husband, she oversaw the introduction of toiletries, perfume and gifts onto shelves and transformed the shopping experience for British women.
But how did a humble islander go on to become the head of a retail empire?
Florence, the third of four children, was born to bookseller William Rowe and his wife Margaret Agnes Campbell in 1863 and brought up in the airy and beautiful St Helier in Jersey, a stark contrast to the busy streets of Nottingham she’d go on to inhabit. Florence left school at 14 and worked with her father William at his island bookshop.
‘I can never remember the time I was not in [a shop]’, Florence later recalled. Her earliest memories were of ‘toddling round the counters at my father’s side and learning from him that all labour was dignified..and that life in a shop could be and ought to be a high calling.’
In 1885, Florence’s gaze was drawn from the shelves to the pale face of a curious first-time shopper. Jesse Boot, owner of his family’s herbalist shop Boots, had ventured to Jersey after a bout of ill health. Florence was struck by the weary businessman, who was 13 years her senior, and the pair struck up a relationship.
A healthy dose of true love seemed to be the medicine needed for young Jesse, whose illness seemingly vanished as the relationship blossomed. The pair married in St Helier on August 30, 1886 and Florence became his business partner, bringing a flair for fashion and design to Boots’ chemists.
Perhaps emboldened by her hardy island upbringing, Florence was not nervous when it came to voicing her business ideas. People only came to the chemist to buy medicine if they were ill. Why not give them another reason to visit?
In 1898, Florence created the Mrs Boot’s Book Lovers’ Library which circulated around stores. At its peak in 1938, there were 35 million books lent out each year.
The business woman had realised that if customers had a reason to frequently visit the shop, they had more of a chance of stumbling on something to purchase. In what became known as the no.2 department, Florence also added perfumes, stationery, gifts and cosmetics to the shelves.
Boots was no longer a stuffy old chemist, it was a high-street experience.
‘Florence was a very ordinary woman, she did not have a privileged background,’ Sophie Clapp, company archivist at Boots UK, tells Metro over Zoom. The historian has poured over newspaper articles, magazine pages and the store’s records to discover what kind of person Florence was.
‘She was described as “a woman ahead of her time” by her contemporaries,’ Sophie continues. ‘The world in which she lived – this world of business – wasn’t seen as a woman’s terrain. To not only be comfortable in it, but to thrive is quite remarkable.’
Florence played a key role in the design of Boots’ flagship outlet on Pelham Street in Nottingham, which provided a blueprint for future stores.
The number of shops grew rapidly with Jesse and Florence in charge, reaching 251 by 1901 and more than doubling to 560 by 1914.
The businesswoman never molded herself to fit in with her male counterparts. Instead, Florence embraced the more feminine interests she had; such as cosmetics, and sought to empower her staff.
At a time when roles for women were typically limited to factory work, domestic work, teaching or nursing; Florence employed female pharmacists, librarians, and café managers, giving them roles of new responsibility before they even had the right to vote.
The early 20th century was a time when sports such as football were banned for women, so Florence founded the Boots Athletic Club to act as a way for her female staff – who she referred to as ‘my girls’ – to exercise.
The mother-of-three also launched the ‘Boots Day Continuation School’ to allow any teenagers who had left school to work for the company to keep up their studies.
‘Boots employed a lot of women and in those days, and many were young,’ Sophie explains. ‘The school leaving age was around 12 or 13 back then. Florence wrapped her arms around her staff and made sure they were cared for. She wanted everyone, no matter their job, to get the same level of care and attention.’
And with the decision to introduce cafes, libraries and art galleries to stores, female shoppers in Britain felt welcome, at a time when many other establishments were still geared towards men. Florence also made Boots one of the first companies to introduce a full-time welfare officer and women’s toilets in-stores.
‘She absolutely put women first,’ continues Sophie.
‘She transformed the High Street completely, not just in terms of creating spaces for women and making them feel welcome, but also in creating appealing products which were elevated from functional, everyday purchases. Florence brought the views of female shoppers to decision-makers.’
In 1920 Florence, 60 by this point, retired and swapped the high street for island life on Jersey. During this time, she founded the very first female hall of residence at Nottingham University which was named Florence Boot Hall in her honour.
The businesswoman, keen to share her wealth, bought and donated land on Jersey such as Beauport Bay and Coronation Park to local people so everyone could access green space. She also put £50,000 towards housing for the island’s poorer population.
On sunny afternoons, Florence’s Russian chauffeur Boris would don a green livery and take her out for a drive in a green Rolls Royce around the island, often with a lucky grandchild in tow. She was somewhat of a celebrity; locals waved as she whizzed past and Boris would occasionally slow down so she could exchange pleasantries with the islanders.
Florence’s own house was always busy. It was full of family, laughter and happiness – and ‘the delicious smell of beeswax Polish,’ her great-great-granddaughter Emma Houston recalls from conversations with her mother, Elizabeth.
‘My mother adored her grandmother and would often talk to us about her,’ Emma tells Metro.
‘She was obviously very loved by her family, as well as within Boots. Her legacies on her home island of Jersey were numerous, and included housing for the poor, several parks, playing fields and land and even a pair of wooden sailing dinghies, named Florence and Jesse, so that islanders who couldn’t afford a boat, or sailing lessons, could learn to sail.’
Florence’s son John, Emma’s grandfather, succeeded his father as chairman of Boots in 1926. Jesse died in 1931 and Florence died in 1952.
A portrait of Florence was previously hung at Lenton House, the Boots head office in Nottingham. It has recently been moved to the National Portrait Gallery’s Victorian Galleries to be on public display for the very first time.
Emma, who today lives in Shropshire with her husband Charlie, wore Florence’s clothes to mark the occasion at a special unveiling in November.
‘I think it is marvellous that Florence has arrived in the National Portrait Gallery,’ Emma, who named her eldest daughter after her great great grandmother, says.
‘Florence was famously kind. She made sure there was hot cocoa on tap for those unable to afford breakfast and she introduced after work clubs for those wanting to continue their education – particularly those who had had to leave school early to work.’
Archivist Sophie adds, ‘Until Florence, there were no other women in the [National Portrait Gallery] collection who represented large scale 19th century business. Her portrait stands alone and I think that speaks volumes in terms of how much she did achieve both for herself and for others.
‘Florence may have been born and raised in the Victorian era, but her progressive social values belonged much more to the 20th century.’
Florence Boot, by Noel Denholm Davis, oil on canvas, 1917, is on display in Room 24 on Floor 2 at the National Portrait Gallery.
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