The Museum has received a generous donation of a rare late-Victorian pot lid, which dates from the 1880s. The lid was found in a garden in Egham, Surrey and is only the second pot lid from a Tavistock business known. The porcelain lid – measuring 45mm in diameter – would have sealed a small glass container of waxy or greasy products, such as hair pomades, ointments and skin creams.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, many people had great faith in their local pharmacist, visiting to get an instant diagnosis on minor ailments and invariably purchasing the recommended remedy. Thomas Pearce’s credibility as a chemist was raised even further when in 1880, following a successful examination and interview with the Academy of Pharmaceutical Society in London, he was awarded membership. This qualification appears after his name on the lid and must have been a source of great pride to Thomas and his family.