John Boot | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 1815 Radcliffe-on-Trent, England |
| Died | 30 May 1860 (aged 44) Nottingham, England |
| Occupation(s) | Chemist, businessperson |
| Years active | 1849–1860 |
| Known for | Founding Boots the Chemists |
| Spouses | Elizabeth Mills
(m. 1838; died 1848)Mary Wills (m. 1849) |
| Children | |
| Family | John Boot, 2nd Baron Trent (grandson) |
John Boot (October 1815 – 30 May 1860) was an English chemist and retail businessperson who was the sole founder of Boots the Chemists. Originally working in agriculture, he was forced by ill health to change careers and set up a shop to sell medicinal herbal remedies at Goose Gate, Nottingham. Although he had no formal qualification, he had learned the skills from his mother and from the Methodist book, Primitive Physic by John Wesley.
When Boot died in 1860, his wife Mary took over the business, and his son, Jesse, went on to expand the business by opening more stores in poor areas, eventually expanding it into the company Boots UK.