The Apothecary

Agapanthus "Aggie" Blackthorne 

Agapanthus Blackthorne learned the apothecary trade working alongside her husband Edmund in their shop on Petty Cury from 1862 until his sudden death from consumption in 1869. When the Pharmacy Act of 1868 required all practising pharmacists to register with the Society of Apothecaries, Aggie found herself in an unprecedented position: as Edmund's widow continuing to operate his established business, she was included on the first compulsory register in 1869, becoming one of the few women officially recognized as a practising pharmacist.

Despite legal restrictions, Aggie thrived within the boundaries imposed upon her, becoming one of Cambridge's most trusted healers, particularly among women who preferred consulting another woman about delicate health matters. Her shop on Petty Cury became a haven where housemaids sought remedies for their mistresses' ailments, where young wives found treatments for conditions male physicians often dismissed, and where elderly women received compassionate care for chronic complaints. Aggie's registration gave her work a legitimacy that underground female healers lacked, yet she remained acutely aware that her male counterparts could advance their careers through research and professional development denied to her.

The tragedy of Aggie's career was not that she lacked official standing—the 1869 register had granted her that—but that the Society's continuing limitations prevented her from fully utilizing her talents or contributing to pharmaceutical advancement. The ceramic ghost captures this bittersweet legacy: the blue-grey representing her legitimate but constrained professional status, while the black streaks symbolize the knowledge and innovations lost when capable practitioners are prevented from reaching their full potential. Owners report that this ghost seems particularly drawn to medicine cabinets and first aid supplies, and some claim that household remedies seem more effective when Agapanthus is present, as if her expertise continues to serve those who need healing across the centuries.

Every ghost is hand-made and unique - yours will be similar to the image shown but will vary in intensity and amount of streaking or other markings making it just as beautiful, but different.