Joseph Rowntree (the father)
Joseph Rowntree’s biographer, Anne Vernon, tells us that his father, the elder Joseph, bought the original Rowntree shop ‘in 1822, on his twenty first birthday. He came to York from his home in Scarborough, riding on the outside of the coach, and probably in a state of some excitement at his own daring. A friend called James Backhouse went with him to the auction, which was to be held at an inn called ‘The Elephant and Castle’ in Skeldergate. The auctioneer was unfortunately drunk, but at James Backhouse’s suggestion the two young men buried his head in a bucket of cold water and managed to sober him up enough to conduct his business. 28 Pavement became the elder Joseph’s property’
Elizabeth Jackson has written a fascinating article for York Historian magazine about the elder Joseph. We are grateful to her, and to York Historian, for allowing us to provide access to it here:
Joseph Rowntree (1801-1859), Citizen of York by Elizabeth Jackson
Wikipedia’s entry on the elder Joseph follows below:
Joseph Rowntree (10 June 1801 – 4 November 1859) was an English educationist and shopkeeper.
Rowntree was born at Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, the son of the Quakers John Rowntree (1757–1827) and his wife, Elizabeth Lotherington (1764–1835). In 1822 he started a grocery shop in York. The business was successful. On 3 May 1832 he married Sarah Stephenson (1807–1888). They had five children, of whom one was the chocolate magnate and social reformer, Joseph Rowntree.
He made an impact on both the education of Quaker children, the training of male and female teachers and the education of poor children in York, through the British and Foreign School Society.
He was active in municipal reform in York. He became an alderman in 1853. He also helped British Quakers to reform their Marriage Regulations, so that people were no longer automatically "disowned" if they married a non-Quaker.
He died at York on 4 November 1859.