This
was the very first branch opened by M. Whitfield Ltd.,
in 1935.
The
original Phamacy Manager/Superintendent Pharmacist was Mr.
Robert 'Bob' Johnson,  who married Jane Whitfield, the elder
daughter of company founder Mr. Joseph Strachan Whitfield,
in the same year. Joseph Whitfield had been a miner since
the age of 14 at Hetton Colliery, but in the 1920s he was
appointed a Relieving Officer in the Durham District, including
Blackhall, Horden and Shotton where he earned the sobriquet
'Kind Joe'.
A
Relieving Officer under the Poor Law (which operated
from 1601
until 1948) was required to support the sick and unemployed
using cash allocated from the "Guardian’s
Committee" using money raised through the rates. The
committee met fortnightly to allocate cash, although
originally the
benefit
was paid in the form of groceries. Unable to name his
Pharmacy company after himself while holding the position
of Relieving Officer, the company was
formed as M.Whitfield Ltd. using his wife's
name, Margaret.
The
Sunderland Road property was originally rented from Mr.
George Hudson. It was later purchased outright in 1946
for £777 16s 6d
In
1939, the branch was temporarily managed by Mr. James Mulvenna
Key after Mr. Johnson transferred to a newly opened branch
in Thornley. Mr. Key joined the army in 1939 and did not
return to Horden until 1948, where he remained until his
retirement.
In
1948, land adjacent to the shop was purchased, and the building
extended to its present size during 1949-50.
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