Susan Reeve Lyon (died after 1632), was an English

apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is an Early Modern English, archaic English term for a medicine, medical professional who formulates and dispenses ''materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons and patients. The modern terms ''pharmacist'' and, in Brit ...

, active in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Born in London to Dutch parents, she was married first to William Reeve and later to William Lyon. Despite restrictions on women and foreigners, she was allowed to work as an apothecary with her first husband and to continue the business after his death. The Company of Apothecaries also judged that she was sufficiently skilled to supervise her second husband's training as an apothecary after her remarriage.

Ownership and accreditation

The activities of apothecaries in London were policed by the Company (or Society) of Apothecaries, chartered in 1617. Apprenticeship was a lengthy process, requiring a seven-year training period. This guild had the right to enter and investigate the premises of anyone exercising any part of "the Art or Mystery of Apothecaries" in the city of London and its environs, and to decide whether they were competent. Foreigners were barred from membership in the guild. Women could not attend university to obtain formal training. Married women could not legally own property, but it was possible for the widow of an apothecary to take over her husband's pharmaceutical business if she could convince the London guild that she was competent to do so. Susan Reeve, although she was of Dutch extraction, had been born in London. Her first husband, William Reeve, came from

Wesel Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel (district), Wesel district. Geography Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine. Division of the city Suburbs of Wesel i ...

in the

Duchy of Cleves The Duchy of Cleves (; ) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire which emerged from the medieval . It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the towns of Wesel, Kalkar, Xanten, Emme ...

. Nonetheless, the Company of Apothecaries allowed Susan and William Reeve to work as apothecaries. In 1617 they were recorded as living within the walls of London on

Aldgate Aldgate () was a gate in the former defensive wall around the City of London. The gate gave its name to ''Aldgate High Street'', the first stretch of the A11 road, that takes that name as it passes through the ancient, extramural Portsoken ...

Street, and in 1618 in Limestreet Ward. In 1619, records show that William Reeve attended Lady Townshend. After William Reeve's death, Susan Reeve was considered competent to own and manage the business as a widow and to supervise an apprentice, Thomas Beedham.

Remarriage

In 1627 Susan Reeve remarried, to William Lyon. The Apothecaries guild did not consider her new husband to be sufficiently skilled to practice as an apothecary, describing him as "No artist." Susan, however, was judged to be skilled. In 1629, the Court of Assistants of the Society of the Apothecaries decided that she would be allowed to supervise her second husband and ensure that he acquired the skills considered necessary by the guild.

The College of Physicians

Reeve's preparations were purchased by medical practitioners such as Arnold Boet and

Gerard Boate Gerard Boate (also Gérard de Boot, Bootius or Botius) (1604, Gorinchem – 1650, Dublin) was a Dutch physician, known for his ''Natural History of Ireland''. Life Boate was born Gerrit/Gerard Boot, in Gorinchem, son of the knight Godfried de Boo ...

, for resale to their patients. The Boates had qualified as doctors at

Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince of Orange as a Protestantism, Protestant institution, it holds the d ...

, but as Dutch physicians were at first considered "irregular practitioners" not approved to practice by the

College of Physicians of London The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of p ...

(CPL). As a result, in 1632, Susan Reeve Lyon was prosecuted by the College of Physicians for selling medicines to an unlicensed physician. The college did not, however, question the quality of the medicines she prepared or her credentials as an apothecary.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon, Susan Reeve 17th-century English women scientists 1600s deaths 17th-century English businesspeople 17th-century English businesswomen English apothecaries