The Story of Claire Burke
Potpourri that comes from Swilly! Seems like such a dichotomy, but it’s true. The intertwining between founder, Claire Burke and CEO Richard Neill (me) is incredible. Just too unlikely to be true, but they are. And here is our parallel story. Charles Basil Murray was born on June 16, 1867, one of thirteen children, in Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland, a town located at the inland tip of Lough Swilly. “Letterkenny” takes its name from the Gaelic name “Leitirceanainn” meaning “Hillside of the O’Cannons”, being the one of the last ancient chieftains.
The O’Cannon dynasty are descended from “Niall of the Nine Hostages”. I am a direct descendent of Niall of the Nine Hostages and grew up in the village of Manor Cunningham, a mere 6 miles from Letterkenny. Mr. Charles Murray came from the humblest of beginnings, having been born less than two decades after the great Irish potato famine, reducing the Irish population by 25% due to starvation and emigration. Charles emigrated to New York City at the age of seventeen to find a better life and went on to become a Doctor, a true illustration of the great American dream. He had two children, the elder being Claire Murray and the younger being Richard, known as Dick.
Claire married Frederick Burke, becoming Claire Burke, and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia and started her career as an interior decorator. Claire became widely appreciated for her exceptional sense of style, and eventually became the go-to interior decorator for Charlottesville high society. Claire loved her work, loved her clients and they became family.
The year was 1957, Claire was completing a big project and thought to herself, “How can I leave a small token of my appreciation that they will remember me by?”. She literally went into the forest collecting pine cones, leaves, nuts and berries. She contacted a fragrance house and described her vision for a fragrance unlike any other at that time.
Claire identified the fragrance notes she loved such as lavender, rose, patchouli, nutmeg, and clove among others. After many revisions, Claire developed a fragrance which would become known as Claire Burke Original, which ended up being a complex mix of more than 60 ingredients which we will delve into in future blogs. She poured the fragrance into a bathtub and blended it with the mix of nuts, cones, berries, leaves, and placed the mixture in a bag with a beautiful bow. From this simple gesture, an entire industry was born!
Dick was a chaplain’s assistant during the second world war. I am a Minister’s son. My career at Claire Burke was obviously preordained. My family history and Claire’s overlaps in so many ways. Like Claire’s father, I also left Ireland at the young age of 10 to start a new life in North America. I should add that I left with my parents, leaving at ten by myself would have been just been plain nuts (potpourri pun intended). Clearly it was meant to be that I buy the Claire Burke company. Claire died in 1993 at the age of 85. Richard died in 2010 at the ripe old age of 96.
During those 63 years, Claire Burke Original remained at the center of the Company’s success and always will be. I feel an immense sense of responsibility to honor Claire’s legacy and the Company she built, starting in her bathtub. Original is an iconic, timeless scent that has become generational. Sons and daughters buy it to remember how their Mother’s house smelt while growing up, just by adding a bag of CB Original potpourri in the living room, or a room spray in the bathroom. It has now become their scent too.
What a beautiful story. I have always loved Claire Burke Products! I do think my favorite is still Original and ALWAYS will be.
The first time I smelled Claire Burke Original, I was 14 walking into my Aunt Maddalynn’s home in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was always so beautiful there and it was always smelling of CB Original. I decided that day, that my home, no matter where I was, would smell like her beautiful home. Until I had a home, at 16, I sprayed it in my 76 Camaro, and yes, my mother is still is a fan and sprays it too. That was 42 years ago. Every college apartment, home, and dwelling along the way, has been filled with CB Original. I have raised two southern daughters who know it to be home where ever there is Claire. Their college dwellings and now apartments follow our tradition. When they were younger and company was coming, they would be doing chores to help prepare and when I got the call “Mom, it’s time to spray Claire Burke,” then we knew we were “company ready.” I have almost become nose blind, so I spray a lot to know there is more than enough in the air, even though, it is not needed. A little goes a very long way. Still, everyone through the years, tells me they love how everything from my home smells. My daughters, my precious mother, and even dear Aunt Maddalynn., are offered a can of Original in case they are low. I ALWAYS have spares and I would love to know how many hundreds of cans I have purchased over 40 years. It think it is fair to say, “Original is my signature scent.” I don’t think Claire would mind. I was delighted to learn she was Irish as much of my heritage is from Northern Ireland and England. No wonder it smells like home. I have graduated from a case of six to a case of twelve. I cannot imagine my home without it. They better bury it with me or I will come back for a can. Keep it coming. It just won’t be home without it. Many thanks, for many memories.
I started using Claire Burke Original scent in my home over 30 years ago. I can’t tell you how many people comment on how comforting and good my home smells, as soon as they walk inside. I love to use the oil rings with my lamps and also the room spray. My sister says no ones house smells better than mine, and I give Claire Burke Original scent ALL THE CREDIT. Thanks for continuing to have this fabulous product available. I look forward to using it in my home for many more years to come. There are thousands of home fragrance products out there but NOTHING beats the scent of the Original Claire Burke.
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