Grissell Hay

Birth date unknown
Wife of apothecary Peter Hay
Widowed in 1766
Died 1778

Grissell Hay was the wife of the apothecary Peter Hay. Widowed in 1766, she sold some of his estate at public auction and turned their home into a lodging house. An advertisement in the "Virginia Gazette" of February 18, 1768, announced, "I take this method to inform the public, that I have very commodious lodgings to let for a dozen gentlemen, and their servants, with stables and provisions for their horses, and shall be much obliged to those who will favour me with their company."

Grissell Hay died in May 1778.

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Apothecary

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Caring for the Mentally Ill

Williamsburg's Public Hospital was the first facility for the treatment of the mentally ill in British North America. June 11, 2007

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18th-Century Surgery

Colonial medicine is not for the faint of heart. Sharon Cotner describes the philosophies and practices. July 6, 2009

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For What Ails You

For poxes, headaches, and fevers, the apothecary has a preparation to ease your symptoms. Medical historian Susan Pryor details the treatments. May 19, 2008

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Smallpox and the Covenant

America's smallpox eradication has its roots in 18th-century Boston. July 13, 2009

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Telling the story of colonial women.

Kristen Spivey reveals some surprises about 18th-century women and their role in history. March 6, 2006

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Carolyn Wilson on Interpreting an American Lady

Carolyn Wilson talks about her passion for what it means to be an American citizen and her love for interpreting Betty Randolph in Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area. August 15, 2005

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