22 Facts About Benjamin Brandreth

Benjamin Brandreth was a 19th-century pioneer in the early use of mass advertising to build consumer awareness of his product, a purgative that allegedly cured many ills by purging toxins out of the blood.

Benjamin Brandreth was born at Newtown, Derbyshire on 23 June 1809, the son of William Holmes and Ann nee Benjamin Brandreth.

Benjamin Brandreth's father abandoned the family while Benjamin was young so he was raised by his mother and maternal grandfather William Brandreth, whose surname he adopted.

Benjamin Brandreth's cousin was Dr Joseph Brandreth, whose family remained seated in North West England, descending in the senior line via James Watson-Gandy-Brandreth, now being represented by his great-nephew Professor Mark Watson-Gandy.

Benjamin Brandreth emigrated to the United States in 1835 with his three children shortly after the death of his second wife, Harriet Smallpage, hoping to find a bigger market than he had in England for his "Vegetable Universal Pill" invented by his grandfather, William Benjamin Brandreth.

Benjamin Brandreth was a pioneer in using the then-infant technique of mass advertising in building brand awareness to create a mass market for his product.

Benjamin Brandreth created and published a wide variety of advertising material for his pills, including a 224-page tome entitled The Doctrine of Purgation, Curiosities from Ancient and Modern Literature, from Hippocrates and Other Medical Writers.

Benjamin Brandreth widely distributed his books and pamphlets throughout the country as well as taking copious advertising space in newspapers.

In 1851 Benjamin Brandreth bought 26,000 acres in the Adirondacks of New York State for 15 cents an acre, establishing the first private preserve in the Adirondack Park becoming known as "Benjamin Brandreth Park".

Benjamin Brandreth was a prominent Democrat in Westchester County, New York, representing the district in the New York State Senate in 1850,1851,1858 and 1859.

Benjamin Brandreth was an active participant in a number of Democratic State Conventions.

Benjamin Brandreth was active in civic development at Sing Sing.

Benjamin Brandreth was one of the founders of the New York Eclectic Medical College, which he supported financially throughout his life.

Benjamin Brandreth was active in the Masons, who took charge of his funeral with full honors.

Benjamin Brandreth was married three times; first to Susan Leeds, from whom he was divorced a few months after the marriage.

Benjamin Brandreth had three children with his second wife, among them George A Brandreth, and ten with his third.

Benjamin Brandreth's children included Colonel Franklin Brandreth, who was the father of the artist Courtenay Brandreth.

Benjamin Brandreth was the grandfather of Fox Conner's wife Virginia Brandreth, and the great-great-great-grandfather of Gyles Brandreth.

Benjamin Brandreth had worked an hour or so in the mixing room.

The impact Benjamin Brandreth had on the local community of Sing Sing was noted by the account in The New York Times which stated that at the time of his death:.

Benjamin Brandreth's funeral was held at the Trinity Church which could hold only a fraction of the mourners in attendance.

Benjamin Brandreth's body was in a wrought metal and bronze casket hermetically sealed with a full-length plate glass top.