Jeremiah Colman (1777–1851) was an English miller who founded Colman's Mustard, a business which merged into the conglomerate Reckitt & Colman, and is now owned by Unilever.

Life

He was born in Norfolk in 1777 to Robert Colman (1749-1807) and Mary (née Harmer). Trained as a miller, Jeremiah Colman managed a mill at Bawburgh before buying his own mill at Pockthorpe[1] in 1803.[2]

In 1814 he bought the mustard business of Edward Ames and moved it to a mill at Stoke Holy Cross where he started crushing mustard seed.[2] In 1823, having no children of his own, he went into partnership with his nephew James. By 1829 J & J Colman was selling mustard in London.[2]

He was elected Sheriff of Norwich in 1845 and Mayor of Norwich in 1846.[3]

Colman died aged 74 in 1851. He had married Anne but had no children. Within 20 years of his death his mustard business had become a Victorian household name.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Norfolk Mills - Pockthorpe tower windmill". Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Norwich since 1550 By Carole Rawcliffe, Page 393 Hambledon Continuum, 2004, ISBN 978-1-85285-450-8
  3. ^ Mackie, Charles. Norfolk Annals. p. 393.


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