Details

Name

Hilda Leyel

Brief Biography

1880–1957, British

Occupation

Herbalist

Description

Mrs CF Leyel was Hilda Winifred Ivy Wauton, the daughter of Edward Brenton Wauton and Elizabeth Anne Drewitt.
She was born on 6 December 1880 at 44 Devonshire Street Marlebone, London. Her father was an assistant French master at Uppingham School. Hilda was educated, informally, at Uppingham, where she developed a serious interest in flowers and herbs. She also received part of her education at Halliwick Manor.
On leaving school, she studied medicine for a time but gave that up to work for the theatrical company of Frank Benson. According to information given by her grandson, Peter Leyel, on the Herb Society forum she was at this time an actress.
It was here she met Carl Frederick Leyel, who was secretary to the company. Leyel was the son of Carl Frederick Leijel, a Swede, and Emma Swan. He was born on 30 December 1875 at Fellside Villa, Lamesley, Durham.
Hilda and Carl married in 1900. They had two sons.
Carl Frederick Salvin Leyel was born on 6 February 1901 at Chester-le-Street, Durham. He died in Jerome, Arizona in 1933.
Christopher Wauton Leyel was born on 10 June 1906 in London. He died in 1971 at Miami Beach, Florida and was buried at sea.
CF Leyel became the manager of His Majesty’s Theatre, the Haymarket, in 1921 and was there until his death in 1925. He was thrown from his horse while riding in Rotten Row and died of his injuries.
Hilda Leyel made a name for herself in the 1920s as a society hostess and a connoisseur of food and wine, entertaining influential friends at her flat at 21 Old Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn. In 1922 she organised and ran the ‘Golden Ballot’ which raised £350,000 for the benefit of ex-servicemen and hospitals. This was deemed illegal and she was prosecuted. Her acquittal helped to legalise such activities. Following this she was elected a life governor of St Mary’s, the West London and the Royal National Orthopaedic hospitals.
Soon after, she began to concentrate on her interest in herbalism. Although she lacked scientific training in botany she acquired a deep and detailed knowledge of the herbalist Nicholas Culpepper and his predecessors and re-presented this knowledge. In 1926 she wrote ‘The Magic of Herbs’.
In 1927 she opened Culpepper House in Baker Street, London, selling herbal medicines, foods and cosmetics with a particular appeal to women. The success of this enterprise encouraged her to open other Culpepper shops.
Encouraged to apply her knowledge to the needs of patients dissatisfied with the drugs of orthodox medicine, she founded the Society of Herbalists (now the Herb Society), an organisation for the study and application of herbal arts.
Herbalism was outlawed by the 1941 Pharmacy Act and was illegal until it was repealed by the Medicines Act of 1968. During those 27 years prospective patients had to join the Society of Herbalists to get legal treatment. Hilda Leyel had campaigned, using her influential friends, to have the Pharmacy Act amended to allow this.
Hilda Leyel was the author of a number of books on herbalism which have become standard works. She also wrote cookery books.
Hilda Leyel died on 15 April 1957 in the Harley Street Nursing Home, 32 Weymouth Street, London.