Jeremiah Colman (1777–1851) was an English miller who founded Colman's Mustard, a business which merged into the conglomerate Reckitt & Colman, and is now owned by Unilever.
Life
He was born in Norfolk in 1777 to Robert Colman (1749-1807) and Mary (née Harmer). Trained as a miller, Jeremiah Colman managed a mill at Bawburgh before buying his own mill at Pockthorpe[1] in 1803.[2]
In 1814 he bought the mustard business of Edward Ames and moved it to a mill at Stoke Holy Cross where he started crushing mustard seed.[2] In 1823, having no children of his own, he went into partnership with his nephew James. By 1829 J & J Colman was selling mustard in London.[2]
He was elected Sheriff of Norwich in 1845 and Mayor of Norwich in 1846.[3]
Colman died aged 74 in 1851. He had married Anne but had no children. Within 20 years of his death his mustard business had become a Victorian household name.[2]