Florence Boot

Florence Anne Boot, Lady Trent (1863–1952) was a Jersey businesswoman and philanthropist. She assisted her husband, Jesse Boot, in running Boots chemists after their marriage in 1886. Florence was responsible for diversifying the firm's retail offering to include perfume, cosmetics, stationery, books, and other general merchandise and also pioneered in-store cafés. Florence promoted employee welfare, establishing an athletics club and a school to continue the education of Boots' younger employees. She also made significant donations of land for public use in Jersey and founded the first all-female hall of residence at the University of Nottingham.

Early life Florence Rowe was born in 1863 in St Helier, Jersey. She used her experience of selling different goods in her father's shop to introduce the sale of stationery, books, artists' materials, and gifts from Boot's shop in Goose Gate, Nottingham. These goods were later rolled out to the company's larger department stores. The decoration of each café was designed by Florence. The libraries were rolled out to around half of the company's stores and reached their height in 1938 when 35 million books a year were lent out. She promoted sports and exercise and helped found the Boots Athletic Club, which was open to all employees. Her son, John Boot, succeeded Jesse as chairman of the company in 1926. This building, named Florence Boot Hall in her honour, was sited on University Park which had been donated to the university by Jesse Boot.

Later life and legacy

After her husband's death in 1931, Florence commissioned the rebuilding of St Matthew's Church, in Millbrook, Jersey, with glass interior fittings by René Lalique. Florence died in 1952.