In 1846, after completing an apprenticeship in pharmacy, a chemist named William Ransom opened the first essential oils extraction drug store in Hitchin. The business quickly gained an international reputation for its commitment to quality. William Ransom helped Hitchin’s economy a great deal and because of his great success, he hired many local people to work either in his lab or to collect raw materials from the wild. Every day, the Ransom stock room was filled with herbs from all over the world.