In 1833 in Cincinnati, Ohio, an English candle-maker, William Procter and an Irish soap-maker, James Gamble, married sisters. Four years later they entered into partnership and established what was to become the Procter and Gamble Company. In the same year of 1837, Thomas Hedley began his soap works on the banks of the Tyne. It became a limited company in 1897 and with the introduction of Fairy soap in 1898, extended its activities beyond North East England. The first 30 years of the 20th century also saw Procter and Gamble become the leading soap manufacturer in the United States. In 1930, the Hedley company was purchased by Procter and Gamble and became its first international subsidiary outside North America. There are now administrative headquarters in Gosforth and research and manufacturing facilities in Long Benton and Seaton Delaval.
Fairy soap was originally just a bar of yellowish-brown soap on sale in the northern counties. It became green in 1926 when it went national. The name 'Fairy' had given the soap the status of a brand rather than just a commodity. In Newcastle 'Fairy' became synonymous with soap, like Hoover and Thermos did in their fields. In the early days, the soap was sliced like cheese to go in the washtub, and was frothed up by hand in the water. It was also used to scrub floors and kitchen tables.
Fairies appeared in the centre of Fairy packets from 1898 until the early 1930s when, although the name was retained, the fairy herself disappeared and was replaced by the Fairy Baby. The slogan ran: 'Baby's napkins should be washed with Fairy'. In 1934, a national competition was launched to name the baby. Although the winning name was 'Billy Bettersuds', the baby became known as 'Bizzie'. The purposeful pose allowed advertisements to read 'I'm Bizzie'. Other famous products of the time included Oxydol (1930), Sylvan Flakes (1932) and Mirro (1934).
Newcastle, along with Stone in Staffs, claims to be the first town in England to brew ale, and, in addition to the invention of the kipper and the modern form of mustard (q.v.), the North East can lay claim to a range of commonly-used products. John Crossley Eno, a pharmacist at Newcastle Infirmary, lived at 5 Collingwood Street in Newcastle and had his shop in Bigg Market. He was the inventor of Eno's Fruit salt, advertised as 'First Thing Every Morning: The World-famed Effervescent salt.' Eno was an unqualified dentist too - as late as 1924, fewer than half the country's dentists were qualified. Domestos, Andrews Liver Salt, Be-Ro flour and Lucozade are also firsts for Newcastle, while John William Hoggett of Whickham is said to have invented the flavoured potato crisp.
Rington's, the famous local tea firm, was founded by Yorkshireman, Sam Watson in 1907. Earl Grey tea, with its bergamot flavouring, was, of course, originally a Rington product. The firm began in a humble way in Third Avenue, Heaton, but in 1926 moved to Algernon Road, Byker, where the premises were extended in 1963. The delivery fleet was wholly mechanised in 1954, but people preferred deliveries to be made by horse and cart as in earlier days.