Lees Patent and Family Medicines New York

Welcome to our Antique Bottle community

Be a part of something great, join today!

AntiqueMeds

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
3,064
Reaction score
10
Points
0
Location
Frederick, MD.
As I understand the story Samuel Lee Jr was the first in Windham Conn filing a medicine patent in 1796. Richard was advertising as early as 1799 in Balto and Michael about the same time (prob slightly later). Richard moved to NYC a couple years into the 19th century. Probably irritated by the competition in Baltimore.

As far as who originated it... you will likely find they both claimed to. One thing that patent medicine dealers had in common is they were all liars. I expect thier insperation came from Samuel Lee.
 

Steve/sewell

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
6,108
Reaction score
4
Points
0
Thanks for all of the additional information Chris and Matt. I thought I read some where that Richard Lee was the first Lee in regards to medicines. I know I have another News paper from Philadelphia or Washington from 1802 where Richard Lee was advertising his medicine from Baltimore still.It is fun to research and I will go through my late 1790s news papers looking for any mention of the Lees Patent family Medicines. Chris the bottle is awesome it is the exact same glass in color and texture to my Glassboro Turlington Bottles. I am positive the vial was a product of the Glassboro works when Dyott contracted them for all of his work.
 

Steve/sewell

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
6,108
Reaction score
4
Points
0
ORIGINAL: AntiqueMeds

what year did Richard Lee die? must have been around 1810 or so???

Noah Ridgely was selling in the 1830s. Not sure of the whole date range of his business.
Matt,
Hannah was Richards wife and she signs the advertisement shown here as a widow so it probably is safe to assume Richard had passed before April of 1807 when Hannah first ran this ad in the Aurora newspaper
.
All of this makes sense as the start date for Dyott to begin touting his own brand.No offense to Lees wife as business women but all of us have seen in our own lives when the main or sole proprietor of a business who is a male passes on the place is never run as efficient and as profitable by the the heir apparent's for the most part as they never seem to be able to manage the daily nuances as the original owner and they just eventually cease to exist.
 

spage

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2022
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Steve, Do you have a Richard Lee, Hannah Lee or Noah Ridgely glass bottle to sell? SPage
 

spage

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2022
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Yes you can tell by the tone where Hannah signs off this is the beginning of the end of Lees empire as he is about to get crushed by Michael Lee the Imposter in Baltimore and Dyott in Philadelphia exciting times they were for the drug proprietors these medicines did ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING FOR YOU........bottled air may have been better for your maladies!!
Michael Lee was the younger brother of Richard Lee. After Richard died in 1806, Michael and his father Richard Lee, Sr, attempted to take the business away from Richard Lee, Jr's widow Hannah Lee. She eventually won and continued in the business with her brothers Thomas Stokes and William A. Stokes. Richard Lee, Sr. died in 1809 and Michael died in 1810. Noah Ridgely took over the business as Proprietor. His wife was Hannah Lee, the daughter of Richard Lee, Sr. Her brothers were Richard Lee, Jr. and Michael Lee.
 
Last edited:

spage

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2022
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
from what I can see Noah Ridgely had taken over from Michael Lee as early as 1817.
M Lee had been been selling at least as early as 1807.
Would love to see the Ridgely bottle.

With the death of Richard Lee, Jr, in 1806, his younger brother Michael Lee took over the business out of Baltimore, MD, with their father Richard Lee, Sr. Richard Lee, Sr, died in 1809 and then Michael died in 1810. Noah Ridgely was married to their sister Hannah Lee. He took over the business, but added Michael's name in the advertisements. So he ran the business for decades out of Baltimore, MD, from 1810 until 1845, when Noah transferred Lee's Medicines to Stabler & Canby. This NOTICE was published in the Baltimore Wholesale Business Directory and Business circular for the Year 1845. Sharon Page
301D00AD98004EB3A75D5F08B8A14483.jpg
 

spage

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2022
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Points
1
As I understand the story Samuel Lee Jr was the first in Windham Conn filing a medicine patent in 1796. Richard was advertising as early as 1799 in Balto and Michael about the same time (prob slightly later). Richard moved to NYC a couple years into the 19th century. Probably irritated by the competition in Baltimore.

As far as who originated it... you will likely find they both claimed to. One thing that patent medicine dealers had in common is they were all liars. I expect thier insperation came from Samuel Lee.
Actually, Richard Lee's inspiration was from his brother-in-law William A. Stokes, who had a Medicine Shop at 25 Maiden Lane in the late 1790s. Richard became a partner with him, but it was not a good fit. William let Richard go in 1799. That is when Richard decided to go on his own out of Baltimore, just when the rest of his family arrived from England to Baltimore.
 

Members online

Latest threads

Forum statistics

Threads
83,216
Messages
742,899
Members
24,229
Latest member
TracyPecora
Top