Who was George Cadbury?
Factory owner and Philanthropist.
Date and Place of Birth:
19th September 1839, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.
Family Background:
Son of John Cadbury, a tea and coffee dealer,
and his wife Candia. George and his brother Richard took over their
father's failing chocolate business in April 1861. The Cadbury's
were members of the Society of Friends or Quakers.
Education:
His education at local Quaker schools finished
abruptly when he was 16 at the death of his mother.
Chronology/Biography of George Cadbury:
1855: Death of his
mother. His father's health was also poor and George joined his
brothers to help out in the family business.
1861: His eldest
brother RIchard and he took control of the company.
1866: The Cadbury
Company became the first in Britain to sell cocoa as a drink. The
beans were ground with sugar to make a powder to which milk and
hot water were added. Despite his hectic business life Cadbury still
taught on Sundays at the Birmingham Adult School and was well known
for his good works to those less well off than himself.
1879: Headquarters
of the Cadbury Chocolate and Cocoa firm moved to Bournville, Birmingham
as the existing premises had been outgrown. A model factory and
village was built at Bournville and was one of the first examples
of a garden city in England. The area was so known as it straddled
the Bournbrook and Cadbury added Ville after the Bourn to sound
exotic as, at the time, French confectionary was thought to be the
best in the world. Cadbury built 24 houses on the site for the main
workers but later another 300 were added to form the attractive
Bournville Village. These houses were vastly superior to other homes
of the working class and Cadbury saw to it that each had its own
garden. Other facilities such as schools, wash houses reading rooms
and hospitals were all included in the Village. Cadbury also encouraged
sporting activity amongst his employees.
The Cadbury "Factory in a Garden"
(© Anthony Blagg)
1888:
Cadbury donates the Lickey Hills to the people of Birmingham. He
had been buying up tracts of land in the area for some time with
his friends including the Earl of Plymouth.
1896: The men's
recreation grounds were laid out in front of the factory to encourage
the health of Cadbury employees.
1897: The first
production of milk chocolate began. The first chocolate was based
on the Swiss model but Cadbury's later added full cream milk to
make the famous lighter coloured Cadbury's Dairy Milk. Cadbury was
actively involved in politics and supported William Gladstone
and became a Councillor for the Liberal Party on Birmingham Town
Council and Worcestershire County Council.
1899: Sudden death
of his brother Richard leaves George in sole control of the Cadbury
Brothers empire.
1901: He became
proprietor of the newspaper the "Daily News" which he
used to put forward his views on social reform such as the introduction
of the old age pension. A pavilion was built in the men's recreation
grounds to commemorate the coronation of King Edward the Seventh.
1905: He builds
the Friends Meeting House (commonly known as Quakers) in Bournville
Village as a place of worship for local people.
1906: Cadbury paid
over £60,000 into a pension fund for his employees.He still
taught at Sunday School and organised events for local children
in his specially constructed theatre in the grounds of his home
Northfield Manor.
1907: He has the
derelict Fourteenth Century building Selly Manor removed from Selly
Oak and re-erected at Bournville where it finally formed the centrepiece
of a museum when it opened in 1916..
1914: A devote pacifist
who had opposed the Boer War he was dismayed at how the Liberals
took the country into the Fist World War and switched his allegiance
to the Independent Labour Party who were anti war. Cadbury built
the Rest House on Bournville Village Green (which is based on the
Yarn Market in Dunster, Somerset) for the use of local people to
commemorate his silver wedding anniversary.
The Rest House built in 1914 and now a museum for the Carillon
(© Anthony Blagg)
1918:
Becomes one of the major founders of the Birmingham Civic Society.
Marriage:
In 1872 to Mary Tylor. (died 1887). In to Elizabeth
Mary Taylor.
Date and Place of Death:
24th October 1922, Northfield Manor, Birmingham,
England.
Northfield Manor where George Cadbury died
(Sadly now derelict but belonging to Birmingham University)
(© Anthony Blagg)
Age at Death:
83.
Site of Grave:
Cremated at Perry Barr Crematorium, Birmingham
and his ashes were laid to rest in an urn in the Friend’s Meeting
House, Bournville.
Friends Meeting House Bournville,
built by George Cadbury in 1905
(© Anthony Blagg)
Places of Interest:
BIRMINGHAM:
Cadbury World, Bournville
Bournville Village Green
Former home now Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre, 1046 Bristol Road,
B29 6LJ
Northfield Manor
Carillon in Bournville Junior School.
The Famous Bournville Carillon which forms part of Bournville
Junior
School and is still regularly played
(© Anthony Blagg)
