Menu Innovative entrepreneurs: 1715 – 1891 Our history began with a remarkable group of individuals in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, who set up a range of businesses across the UK, Europe and the USA. In pharmacies, shops and drug manufacturers, they developed innovative products including medicinal soaps and cod liver oil. Their pioneering work forms the foundation of the company we know today. William Allen, an office clerk, was employed by the pharmacy in 1792, and became a partner in 1795. Allen was an esteemed medical professional; he became a founding member of the Pharmaceutical Society in 1841. Allen & Hanburys Ltd. would eventually be acquired by Glaxo Laboratories Ltd., a GSK legacy company. “Glaxo” is the origin of the ‘G’ in GSK. The company acquired French, Richards & Co. in 1891, to form Smith, Kline & French Company. “Smith Kline” is the origin of the ‘SK’ in GSK. Packing Beecham’s Pills at St Helens factory, UK, c.1890s From shepherd boy to factory owner Thomas Beecham, a former shepherd, was granted a licence for his first shop in England in 1848. He developed the recipe for Beecham’s laxative pills before building what was claimed to be the first factory in the UK with electricity in 1887. Beecham became a provider of healthcare products across the UK, which over a century later merged with SmithKline Beckman Corp. to form SmithKline Beecham plc. Necessities in New Zealand In 1873, Joseph Nathan, a Londoner who had left the UK at age 17, established a general trading company in New Zealand, called Joseph Nathan & Co. He sold haberdashery, ironmongery and meat products shipped over from London and invested the profits in land used for dairy farms. Joseph Nathan & Co. Ltd. was bought out by its subsidiary Glaxo Laboratories Ltd. in 1947. The Horlick brothers then moved to Wisconsin, USA, where in 1883 they patented the process of purifying and drying milk with malt to make the world's first malted milk, called Horlicks Malted Milk from 1887. Increasing sales of Horlicks Malted Milk across the British Empire led James Horlick back to London to open an office in 1890. Horlicks Ltd. became part of Beecham Group in 1969. Partners in pharmaceuticals In 1880, American pharmacists Henry S. Wellcome and Silas Burroughs began Burroughs Wellcome & Co., a drug sales partnership in London. In 1884, they developed a new compressed tablet for medicines, trademarked as a ‘Tabloid’, to be an alternative to pills. Tabloid medications were so successful that the company opened its first large scale manufacturing facility in 1889. Burroughs Wellcome & Co. manufacturing facility in Dartford, UK, 1889 RSS Other GSK websites Market website selector GSKPro for healthcare professionals GSK Study Register Quick links COVID-19 response Behind the science About us Products Careers Investors Media Research and development Responsibility Accessibility/legal Accessibility Terms of use Cookie policy Privacy notice Modern Slavery Act statement 2020 PDF - 191.4KB Sitemap Contact us Contact us Partnerships Report a possible side effect Business to business Supplier website Business to business This is our global website, intended for visitors seeking information on GSK’s worldwide business. Our market sites can be reached by visiting our market selector. © 2001-2021 GlaxoSmithKline plc. All rights reserved. Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies. GlaxoSmithKline plc. Registered in England and Wales No. 3888792. Registered office: 980 Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9GS, United Kingdom. We use cookies GSK values your privacy and your trust is important to us. We use cookies to enhance your website experience. Some cookies are necessary to run the website. Others are optional: performance cookies show us how you use our website and features; functional cookies remember your preferences; and advertising cookies help us share relevant content.Cookie Policy Show detail ❮ OPT OUT ACCEPT ALL