William Singleton

1569 - Dr. Johnsons Ointment invented. When Johnson dies the recipe is passed to the Hind family but a daughter married Thomas Singleton and took the recipe with her as a marriage portion; Thomas Singleton lived in Lambeth Butts.

1779 - Thomas Singleton dies; leaves the recipe to his son William and the ointment became widely known.

1794 - William passed the recipe to his daughter Selina on her marriage to Timothy Folgham.

1816 - Selina (nee Singleton) Folgham died and passed the recipe equally to her 5 children; The eldest William Singleton Folgham ran the business to his death when it passed to the second child Selina;

1825 - Selina Folgham married Stephen Green and her share passed to him in the marriage settlement. Green was located at Princes St., Lambeth, stone ware manufacturer

1829-about 1877 – Stephen Green resident in 210 Lambeth Road (formerly No. 2 Union Place), Lambeth where the ointment is made

1848 - Green acquired the proprietorship of the recipe.

1860s-1870s – ointment pots manufactured by Mid-Lothian Pottery Co., Portobello, Edinburgh

about 1874 – after Green's death rights eventually passed to the Carlill family who continued manufacture as Stephen Green Limited

1967 - acquired by Fordham Laboratories Limited;

1972 - passed to Northern Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bradford

The ointment contained mercuric oxide.

variety of names used, from Singleton’s Golden Eye Ointment to Singleton’s Golden Ointment

after 1903 - Singleton’s Eye Ointment