Antonio L. Bilisoly /
William S. Langhorne


Company Names, addresses, dates: 1
  Antonio L. Bilisoly, Middle St near High St, Portsmouth VA (c.1870-c.1875)
  Bilisoly & Langhorne, High St near Middle St, Portsmouth VA (c.1880)
  Bilisoly & Langhorne, High St near Court, Portsmouth VA (c.1882)
  Bilisoly & Langhorne, 314 High Street, Portsmouth VA (1883-1885)
  Bilisoly & Langhorne, 234 High Street, Portsmouth VA (1886-1888)
  Antonio L. Bilisoly, 234 High Street, Portsmouth VA (1889-1904)

  William S. Langhorne, High St near Middle St, Portsmouth VA (1867-c.1872)
  William S. Langhorne, 86 High St, Portsmouth VA (c.1874-c.1875)
  Langhorne & Bilosoly, 116 Market Sq, Portsmouth VA (c.1880-1882)
  Langhorne & Bilosoly, 600 Crawford, Portsmouth VA (1883-c.1888)
  William S. Langhorne, 600 Crawford, Portsmouth VA (1889-c.1892)
  William S. Langhorne, 800 Crawford, Portsmouth VA (c.1897-1903)
  William S. Langhorne & Son, 800 Crawford, Portsmouth VA (1904-1924)


Notes:
Dr. Antonio Leon Bilisoly (1836-1907) was a Physician and a Druggist in Portsmouth VA2,3.

About 1880, he teamed up with fellow drugstore owner William Sylvester Langhorne (1845-1910)4 in an unusual way - they opened 2 drugstores: one called "Bilisoly & Langhorne" and the other called "Langhorne & Bilisoly". These 2 stores are listed in city directories between 1880-1888. In the 1889 directory, the two druggists went back to sole ownership of their 2 stores.1
This may be somehow related to the fact that Langhorne married Roselia Bilisoly, in 18715. From the Census, it looks like Roselia was Antonio's sister.

Bilisoly enlisted in the Confederate army on 4-20-1861, and was a Physician in the Civil War. He was described as a brave surgeon who attended the wounded under fire2. His drugstore lasted until 1904. He died in Portsmouth on 11-20-1907, and was buried in the Cedar Grove Cemetery3. His older brother, Lisle A. Bilisory, was also a druggist in Portsmouth.

Langhorne teamed up with his son, William Sylvesta Langhorne Jr. (1876-1957)6 in 1904 under the name "William S. Langhorne & Son". William Sr. passed away in 1910, but the firm or Langhorne & Son continued until 1924.


Antonio Bilisoly Bottles:

bilisoly_01 This is a clear 4.2" bottle embossed:
vertical: ANTO. L. BILISOLY / DRUGGIST / PORTSMOUTH, VA.
base: WT&CO / C / USA / PAT DEC 11 1894


Bilisoly & Langhorne Bottles:
bilisoly_02 This is a clear 3.3" bottle embossed:
horizontal in fancy slugplate: BILISOLY / & / LANGHORNE / DRUGGISTS / PORTSMOUTH, VA.


1 City directories for Portsmouth VA, 1870,72,74,75,80,82,83,85,86,89,90,92,97,1900,02,05,10,13,14,15,17,18,20,22,24,25
2 Virginian-Pilot newspaper, 20-Nov-1907, pg 9 (obituary)
3 find-a-grave entry for Antonio Leon Bilisory
4 Civil War Soldier Records & Profiles 1861-65 for William Sylvester Langhorne
5 Virginia Select Marraiges, 22-Nov-1871 Wm.S.Langhorne & Roselia Bilisoly, file 33366, line87, p.25
6 Virginia Death record 3209-235, William Sylvesta Langhorne Jr (b:12/30/1876, d:2/4/1957), Portsmouth VA


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This page last updated on December 20, 2019.