Jesse Boot, 1st Baron Trent (2 June 1850 – 13 June 1931) transformed

The Boots Company Boots UK Limited (formerly Boots the Chemists), trading as Boots, is a British health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom and other countries and territories including Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Thailand a ...

, founded by his father,

John Boot John Boot (1815 – 30 May 1860) was the founder of Boots the Chemists. Originally working in agriculture, he was forced by ill health to change careers and set up a shop to sell medicinal herbal remedies at Goose Gate, Nottingham. Although he ...

, into a national retailer, which branded itself as "Chemists to the Nation".

Biography

Boot sold his controlling interest to American investors in 1920. John Boot offered his close friend and business associate John Harston, the opportunity of going into business with him, but Harston declined, feeling the venture was not worth investing in. Boot was a great benefactor to the

City of Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robin ...

. In 1920 Jesse Boot purchased, and presented to the City of Nottingham, 36 acres of open land that lay along the northern side of the Victoria Embankment alongside the River Trent, opposite Plaisaunce, Jesse Boot's summer house which was demolished in 1961. Initially named the 'New Park', it was laid out with grass and trees, and provided a barrier against flooding as well as a pleasant walkway alongside the river. As part of the development an imposing war memorial gateway was built, with the aid of funds from Jesse Boot. He donated land for the new University College at Highfields, now the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...

, which opened in 1928. and was presented with the Freedom of the City of Nottingham in 1920. He was also a significant benefactor to his wife's home,

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...

. Boot was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1909, created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

in 1917, and announced in the New Year's Honours of 1929 was elevated to the peerage, and created Baron Trent, of

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

in the

County of Nottingham Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The tradition ...

on 18 March 1929. These latter honours probably owed as much to his solid support of the Liberal Party as to his

philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

to the city of his birth. Jesse Boot memorial - geograph

He died in

in 1931. The Sir Jesse Boot Chair in Chemistry at the

was named in his honour. His widow commissioned the French glass artist

René Lalique René Jules Lalique (6 April 1860 – 1 May 1945) was a French jeweller, medallist, and glass designer known for his creations of glass art, perfume bottles, vases, jewellery, chandeliers, clocks, and automobile hood ornaments. Life Lalique's ...

to refit the church of St Matthew, Millbrook (popularly known as the "Glass Church") as a memorial to him. In 1935 a Primary school was built in Nottingham, Jesse Boot's home town. The School was titled

The Jesse Boot Primary School Nottingham Academy is an academy school located in Nottingham, England. It is an all-through 3-19 school. The school is made up from two (formerly three) predecessor schools, #Greenwood Dale School, Greenwood Dale 11-19, #The Jesse Boot Primary ...

and was located in Bakersfield, Nottingham. The School closed in 2009 after becoming an academy school. His portrait, by

Noel Denholm Davis Noel Denholm Davis (1876–1950) was a British artist, who worked chiefly as a portraitist. He was born in Nottingham, England, in 1876 and studied at Nottingham School of Art, and then the Royal Academy Schools. He spent a decade working in ...

, is in the collection of the

. Another, by the same artist, is on loan to the National Portrait Gallery.

Bibliography

*''Jesse Boot of Boots the Chemist: A study in Business History'' by

Stanley Chapman Stanley Chapman (15 September 1925 – 26 May 2009) was a British architect, designer, translator and writer. His interests included theatre and 'pataphysics. He was involved with founding the ''National Theatre'' of London, was a member of Ouli ...

(Detail from a copy of the book with black and white plates of Jesse Boot and published by Hodder and Stoughton UK as a special edition for

in 1973 with an .)

Arms

References

External links

Portrait
by

Biography – on Boots corporate website

Boots family philanthropy – on Boots corporate website

Chemists to the Nation – article in Pharmaceutical Journal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trent, Jesse Boot, 1st Baron Trent 1850 births 1931 deaths Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom British retail company founders Boot, Jesse Boot, Jesse Boot, Jesse People associated with the University of Nottingham People educated at Nottingham High School People from Nottingham Barons created by George V