Dr. F. Stafford & Sons

Dr. Frederick Infield Rex Stafford was born in 1856, in Montreal and was a graduate of McGill College. Around 1878, Stafford came to Newfoundland and practiced medicine at Little Bay Mines. In 1882, he moved to Twillingate and married Eliza Blandford, daughter of the late J.B. Blandford, Stipendiary Magistrate at Little Bay. Stafford remained at Twillingate until 1906, at which time he sold his practice to Dr. LeDrew and moved to St. John’s. Dr. Stafford continued to operate a medical practice at St. John’s and around 1908 he opened two drug stores for his sons, Augustus and Bennett. Augustus was already working in St. John’s, employed as a druggist with Thomas McMurdo and Company. Stafford’s Drug stores were located at the corner of Gower and James Street and at 166 Duckworth Street. By 1918 the Stafford’s opened a manufacturing plant, which produced 3 specialties: Stafford’s Liniment, Stafford’s Prescription A, Stafford’s Phoratone Cough Cure. Around 1915, Dr Stafford discontinued his medical practice due to “throat trouble.” Dr Stafford died on March 13, 1920 from influenza, leaving Bennett to assume control of the family business. Bennett ran one drug store, which had now moved to Theater Hill, while August ran the Duckworth Street location. Bennett Stafford was also a promoter of the Newfoundland Hotel and ran a drug store there. Bennett died in 1969 and Augustus died in 1972.

Photo 1: Three different "STAFFORD"S LINIMENT" bottles, 13cm in height, 1920s.

Photo 2: Clear-coloured bottle with a paper label for "Staffords Esssence of Butterscotch".

Photo 3: Cobalt blue bottle with a paper label marked "Hair Tonic."

Photo 4: Clear-coloured bottle with a paper label for "Staffords Esssence of vanilla."

Photo 5: Clear-coloured bottlew with a paper labels for "Pure Glycerine" and "Esssence of Peppermint."

Photo 6: Amber-coloured bottle with original contents and a paper label for Stafford's "Hotel Drug Store," dated 1937.

Photo 7: Clear-coloured bottle with a paper label for "Creasote Mixture / An Excellent Preparation for Chronic Coughs and Lung Troubles."

Photo 8: Two c. 1915-1920 unopened boxes containing bottles for "STAFFORD'S KLEEN-HED LOTION" and "STAFFORD"S CASCARA COMPOUND" These products were "made expressly fopr Harvey & Co. Belleoram, Stones Cove, Little Bay East, Newfoundland."