MAIL readers have offered an insight into an old medicine bottle which was found during an outhouse conversion in Barrow.

The tattered label has 'Rob Postlethwaite Dispensing Chemist and Optician' across its centre.

An address, 165 Dalton Road, Barrow is printed underneath - the current home of jewellers H Samuel.

Those who discovered the bottle believe it could be from during the World War II period.

Mail readers have dug deep into historical directories to find clues about the chemist.

According to Carol Bennett, the chemist Robert Postlethwaite was born in 1874 in Barrow.

Giving advice to those interested in history, Alan Tomlinson of Kirkby-in-Furness said: "I have a copy of the Furness and District Yearbook from 1926 which lists Postlethwaite at that Dalton Road address.

"The Directory was produced annually for many years and they can be very useful reference books. "

Clive Burgess of Headland Rise, Barrow, was able to dig through many yearbooks - ranging from 1906 to 1958.

He said: "These directories are full of advertisements and photographs of local traders; however, I could not find one relating to Robert Postlethwaite, Chemist.

"It does go to show though, that this property was trading as a chemist for over 30 years."

David Wayles believes that the bottle could be much older than first thought, he said: "World War II is a possibility for the age of that bottle but it could be several decades older.

"Robert is listed in the 1939 census as living at 51 Harrison Street, Barrow and his occupation is pharmacist and optician. His daughter Eleanor was his shop assistant.

"Looking further back the 1911 Bulmers history, topography and directory of Furness and Carmel list his chemists business address as 165 Dalton Road, Barrow and his home address at 51 Harrison Street.

"Six years earlier in 1905 he is listed as a chemist in Kelly's directory also at 165 Dalton Road. "The label shows that he was a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society but unfortunately their museum and historical reference section is closed during the pandemic.

"In the 1901 census he lived in Greengate and gave his occupation as Chemist and Druggist. And in the earliest record, the 1891 census, he lived at Rampside with his farming family but his occupation was chemists apprentice."