Established in 1798 it was originally the Fountain Inn.
“There was a side window which overlooks Fore Street and the landlord would watch for the congregation coming out of the church on Sunday and have the pints of beer lined up on the bar by the time his regulars arrived at church”
In 1841 it belonged to the Foster family and later became known as Foster’s Chemists. As well as running a pharmacy, with large bottles labelled with gold leaf titles, Murray T Foster was a keen botanist with many exotic plants in his heated greenhouses, a local historian of some note and the keeper of the meteorological records for the area.
Timeline
| Date | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| 1844 | MEDICAL INVALID, Joseph Foster, Fore st. FIRE, &c. OFFICE AGENTS. 24 ; DISSENTERS’ & GENERAL Jos. Foster, Fore st. FIRE, &c. OFFICE AGENTS. James Collings | Pigots |
| 1851 Census | Joseph Foster, 57, chemist and druggist, wine merchant spirit merchant, born London Margaret E, wife, 50, born London Margaret, cousin, unmarried, 37, lodger, born London Henry Thornton, unmarried, 21, druggist apprentice, born Burliscombe | |
| 1861 Census | Joseph Foster, unmarried, 34, chemist and druggist, born Cullompton Margaret Ellen Foster, mother, 59, born London Margaret Foster, cousin, 47, housekeeper, born London George Edmunds, 18, chemist apprentice, born Dublin, Ireland | |
| 1864 | Will of Margaret Ellen Foster | 74B/MT/2087 |
| 1867 | Will of James Murray Foster | 74B/MT/2084 |
| 1871 Census | Joseph Foster, 44, druggist and spirit merchant, born Cullompton Jane, 41, born Cullompton; ?, 3, born Cullompton William Toogood, father-in-law, widow, 78, late bank manager, born Cullompton Mary J Frost, wife’s cousin, 12, scholar, born Cullompton James H Squire, 14, druggist apprentice, born Bradninch Mary Ann Gardner, 23, general domestic servant, born Bampton | |
| 1873 | Will of Margaret Foster | 74B/MT/2086 |
| 1881 Census | Joseph Foster, 54, druggist and spirit merchant, captain, A company, 3rd something volunteers, born Cullompton Jane, wife, 51, born Cullompton Mary Jane Biss, 21, general domestic servant, born Cullompton Susan Ann Biss, 11, occasional helps, born Cullompton | |
| 1889 | Will of Jane Foster | 74B/MT/2085 |
| 1889 | Royal Exchange, J. Foster, Fore street. | Kellys |
| 1891 Census | Joseph Foster, 64, druggist and spirit merchant, born Cullompton Annie, Susan Biss, 20, general domestic servant | |
| 1901 Census | Joseph Foster, 74, widower, druggist and spirit merchant, employer, born Cullompton Murray, F, son, married, 33, assistant to his father, worker, born Cullompton Sarah Pratt, 25, domestic servant, born Plymtree | |
| 1911 Census | Murray Toogood Foster, 43, pharmacist, wine and spirit merchant, employer working from home, Emma, 33, born Cullompton James Murray, 10, at school, born Cullompton Enid Amy, daughter, 1, born Cullompton | |
| 1914 | Foster Murray Toogood, pharmacist, Fore Street. | Kellys |
| 1919 | Foster Murray Toogood, pharmacist, wine & spirit merchant & seedsman, Fore Street. | Kellys |
| 1939 | Foster Murray Toogood J.P. pharmacist, Fore St. | Kellys |