Bailey.Academic_Writing

3.20 Verbs – Passives 177
In 1889 he was introduced to Florence Rowe, the
daughter of a bookseller, while on holiday. Her influence
was felt by the business after they were married: the
product range was enlarged to include stationery
and books. In addition she was responsible for the
introduction of the Boots subscription library and in-store
cafes.
During World War I the factories were used to make a
variety of products from sterilisers to gas masks. But
by 1920 Jesse was being attacked by arthritis and was
worried by the economic prospects. Boots was sold to
an American rival for £2m. This, however, was made
bankrupt during the Depression and Boots was then
bought by a British group for £6m, while Jesse’s son,
John, was made chairman. The famous No. 7 cosmetics
range was launched in the 1930s. In the 1939–45 war
the saccharin equivalent to 700,000 tons of sugar was
produced in the factories.