Frederick K. Humphreys

Infobox Person
name = Frederick K. Humphreys


image_size = 200px
caption =
birth_date = March 11, 1816
birth_place = Marcellus, New York
death_date = July 18, 1900
death_place = Monmouth Beach, New Jersey
occupation = Homeopath
spouse = Cornelia Palmer (c1816-1840)
Frances Maria Sperry (1826-1902)
parents = Erastus Humphreys (1785-1848)
children =

Frederick K. Humphreys (March 11, 1816 – July 18, 1900) was a physician and the founder of Humphreys Homeopathic Medicine Company in New York City in 1853.

Biography

Frederick was born in Marcellus, New York on March 11, 1816 to Erastus Humphreys (1785-1848), a physician. Frederick was raised in Auburn, New York where he went to the Auburn Academy. In 1832 he joined his uncle and brother in their clock business. In 1835 he returned home to manage his father's farm. In 1837, at the age of 21, he married Cornelia Palmer (c1816-1840), and they moved to Chillicothe, Ohio where his Cornelia's father lived. In Chillicothe Frederick entered the Methodist Episcopal ministry. His wife died in 1840 and Fredrick returned to Auburn as an itinerant preacher. On August 1, 1843, Frederick married his second wife, Frances Maria Sperry (1826-1902) of Ludlowville, Tompkins County, New York. They had the following children: Helen Frances Humphreys (1844-?); Frederick Hahnemann Humphreys (1847-?); Alvah Jay Sperry Humphreys (1851-1883) who was the father of Frederick Erastus Humphreys; and Frank Landon Humphreys (1858-?). He was the personal physician of Theron T. Pond (?-1852), and Humphreys claimed that Pond gave him permission to manufacture Pond's Creams before he died. Humphreys begane to manufacture the product under the name "Pond's Extract". Palmer, who took over the Pond's corporation received an injunction from Humphrey using the name 'Pond's Extract,' or manufacturing the cream. Around 1871 the lawsuit of Palmer vs. Humphrey was still pending, when F. W. Hurtt, a banker of New York, bought the alleged rights from Humphrey Homeopathic Medicine Company, and took Palmer into the new partnership, giving him a one-eighth interest in the new corporation.

Frederick Humphreys, died in 1900 in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey and he was buried in Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn. [The first in the family to the United States was Michael Humphrey who lived in Windsor, Connecticut in 1640. ] [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Dr. Frederick Humphreys |url= |quote=Wednesday; Dr. Frederick Humphreys, originator of "Humphreys's Homeopathic Specifics", died on Sunday in his Summer home at Monmouth Beach, New Jersey. He was born in Marcellus, Onondaga County, on March 11, 1816. His father, Erastus Humphreys, was an old-time doctor of Utica, where his son, after going through the usual medical studies, joined him in practice in 1844. |publisher=New York Times |date=July 10, 1900 |accessdate=2007-06-21 ] [cite news |url= |title=Central Trust Company v. Gaffney, 157 App. Div. 501 (1913) |accessdate=2007-07-03 |publisher=New York Appellate Division |quote=The plaintiff, as trustee, has brought this action to have its account judicially determined and for instructions as to the distribution of the trust estate. The trust was created by an instrument dated December 21, 1894, by one Frederic Humphreys in favor of his two grandchildren Fredric E. Humphreys and Jayta Humphreys (now Jayta Humphreys Von Wolf), defendants herein, who were then infants. The plaintiff was made trustee. The remaining defendant, Fannie Humphreys Gaffney, the mother, and at that time the guardian of the infant beneficiaries, was a party to the trust agreement. The trust estate consisted mainly of 875 shares of stock of the Humphreys Homeopathic Medicine Company and 40 shares of the New Jersey Central Railway Company. By the terms of the instrument the trustee was required to pay to Fannie Humphreys Gaffney, as guardian, or to her legally appointed successor, during the minority of the beneficiaries, or either of them, specified amounts of the income; and each beneficiary upon attaining the age of twenty-one years was then to receive one-half of the accumulated income and thereafter a full one-half of the income until the beneficiary, Jayta Humphreys, should reach the age of thirty years. At that time — November 6, 1911 — the principal of the trust was to be paid over in equal parts to the two beneficiaries and the trust terminated. ] [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Golden Treasure |url=http://www.swsbm.com/ManualsOther/Hamamelis.txt |quote=Dr. Frederick Humphrey, a Methodist minister, and also a Homeopathic physician, proprietor of the Homeopathic Medicine Company, 562 Broadway, New York, claimed that for years he had been Mr. Pond's family physician, and that Pond had given him the right to manufacture and sell the extract through his 'Humphrey Homeopathic Medicine Company.' He did, indeed, commence to manufacture the same, continuing the name, 'Pond's Extract.' His claim was denied by Palmer, who commenced suit and applied for an injunction forbidding Humphrey from either using the name 'Pond's Extract,' or manufacturing the article. A party from Connecticut who had worked for the original firm of Pond and the Indian, also claimed that he had the right to make 'Golden Treasure,' but he was unable to establish his claim. At that time, the 'extract' was still made by using the old cauldron, over a direct fire. Palmer employed a copper kettle, with a very crude concentrating hood and worm. Cold water was used for condensing the vapor. In 1871 or '72, while the lawsuit (Palmer vs. Humphrey) was still pending, Mr. F. W. Hurtt, a banker of New York, bought the interest, or the alleged interest, of the Humphrey Homeopathic Medicine Company, and to quiet Palmer, took him into partnership, giving him an eighth interest in the new corporation, which was capitalized at $100,000. At that time, the sale of Pond's Extract was less than $5000 per annum. |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2007-07-04 ]

President

*Frederick K. Humphreys (1816-1900) from 1853-1900
*Frederick Erastus Humphreys (1883-1941) from 1929 to 1941
*Suzanne Humphreys (1915-2001). She was born in Far Hills, New Jersey on April 2, 1915 and died in Grand View-on-Hudson, New York on July 25, 2001. She was president starting in 1954.

Company

*Humphreys Homeopathic Medicine Company (1854) in New York City
*Humphreys Medicine Company (1940)
*Humphreys Pharmacal, Inc. (1968) in Rutherford, New Jersey

Publications

* "Homoeopathic Treatment of Diseases of the Sexual System, a complete repertory". New York City, New York W. Radde. 144p. (1850)
* "Dysentery and its Homoeopathic Treatment. Containing a repertory and cases". New York City, New York W. Radde. 87p. (1853)
* "Homoeopathic Treatment of Diseases of the Sexual System, a complete repertory". 2d ed. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Rademacher & Sheek. 144p. (1854)
*"Humphrey's Manual of Specific Homoeopathy for the Administration of Medicine and Cure of Disease". Auburn, New York. 148p. (1856)
*"Humphrey's Manual of Specific Homoeopathy for the Administration of Medicine and Cure of Disease". New York City, New York *"Humphreys Specific Homoeopathic Medicine Co". 148p. (1858)
*"Humphrey's Manual of Specific Homoeopathy for the Administration of Medicine and Cure of Disease". New York City, New York J. A. Gray Printer. 106p. (1859)
* [http://books.google.com/books?dq=frederick+humphreys+homeopath&printsec=frontcover&sig=7zLwO_JFvofNFdeCDm4elCSdLr8&id=Pzt-4kykdUEC&ots=wsGcIFtCVx&output=html "Humphreys' homeopathic mentor: Or Family Adviser in the Use of Specific Homeopathic Medicine"] (1873)

References

External links

* [http://www.fohbc.com/PDF_Files/Humphreys_MSmith.pdf Humphreys’ Veterinary Homeopathic Specifics]
* [http://homeoint.org/cazalet/humphreys/biography.htm Sylvain Cazalet: Frederick Humphreys]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=16727413 Findagrave]