Joseph Rowntree: 1836 – 1925

Philanthropist; progressive employer; radical thinker; social innovator: “he loved to do good by stealth”

Images: From originals held at The Borthwick Institute for Archives.

The Rowntree Legacy: Economic Contribution to York

York today might not be the same city without the Rowntree presence. The growth of the confectionery business was one of the catalysts for the city’s development from workshop based manufacturing to large factories, of which the Cocoa Works was a state of the art example.

Together with its subsidiary buildings and railway siding the factory complex was almost a small town in its own right. Alongside York’s growing identity as a railway town during the nineteenth century and fellow York based confectioners, Terrys and Cravens, today’s city has been indelibly shaped by chocolate and the railways.

Image: From originals held at The Borthwick Institute for Archives.

The Rowntree Legacy: Pioneers in industrial Welfare

Joseph believed passionately in the welfare of his workforce and that business and community were inextricably linked. Seebohm Rowntree developed these ideas further and demonstrated that improving worker welfare would promote industrial efficiency.

This is an important aspect of the Rowntree legacy. Among later company developments were the establishment of a rest home intended to provide a sanctuary for those suffering with stress and ill health or bereavement.

Dunollie in Scarborough was opened in 1947. In 1957 Rowntrees opened a factory in the Fawdon area of Newcastle upon Tyne in response to staff shortages in York and rising demand for confectionery. Run by Nestle from 1988, this factory finally closed in 2023 having become a focal point of the local community.

Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library

Joseph started a library for employees in 1885 believing it was important for people to use their leisure time in a positive and creative way. He had a lifelong love of books, read extensively throughout his life and liked to discuss books with his children and encourage them to read. The development of a staff library was the first step towards the creation of a large number of clubs and societies to support staff in education and well-being. Joseph also helped to create York City Library, now York Explore Library and Archive with branches across the city. It is a fitting memorial to Joseph that the Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library was built at the Cocoa Works, opening in 1927 and housing over 10,000 books. The library was designed by Colin Rowntree, son of Fred, and is an Arts and Crafts building which retains a large number of fixtures and fittings of high quality.

Image: York Explore

Joseph Stephenson Rowntree

Joseph Stephenson – known as Stephen – was the third of Joseph and Antoinette’s sons. He spent his working life at Rowntree and Co. but was also involved in Quaker committees and Liberal politics. He was the first member of the family to go to Cambridge University. Quakers had been debarred from entering the older universities mainly due to their non-conformism and this restriction had only recently been lifted. He was known as a good committee man and, most notably, he was on the Northern Friends Peace Board and the Yorkshire Friends’ Service Committee, the last of which was set up to pursue the ideas of John Wilhelm after his death. Both of these committees still exist although the latter is now the Outreach Projects Committee of Quakers in Yorkshire. Stephen was active in local politics and was mayor of Harrogate from 1911 to 1913.

Image: From originals held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives.

York’s Factory Women

Women were employed by Rowntrees from the earliest days of the factory in 1862 but the gender balance shifted over time as its growth created a need for more packers, a role that could be undertaken by women, especially young girls. By the early years of the twentieth century women constituted over half of the workforce and would continue to do so.

Rowntrees were more progressive than most in the employment of women and were one of the first factories in the country to allow women to progress to supervisory and, eventually, managerial roles. They had more voting rights within the factory than in general life but earned less and had fewer privileges than male colleagues. Women worked almost exclusively on the machines and undertook labour intensive tasks such as sorting chocolates, putting decorative finishes to them and packing.

Image: From originals held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives.

The Borthwick Institute for Archives

The Borthwick Institute for Archives holds the largest collection of Rowntree archives in the world. These include records relating to the Rowntree company, family, Trusts and theatre as well as records relating to the family’s social research. The archives include letters and diaries; minute books; accounts; magazines; advertisements; audio and video recordings and photographs. The Borthwick was founded as part of the campaign to establish a university in York. The Borthwick Institute of Historical Research was the first of the institutes to be opened in May 1953 and it became a department of the university when it opened in 1963. The Borthwick moved to its current location adjacent to the Raymond Burton Library at the centre of the university campus in 2004 and opened to the public in January 2005.

Creation of the Trusts

Dated 29 December 1904 Joseph’s Founder’s Memorandum set out his vision for the three Trusts that he founded and this remains a principle source of advice and inspiration to their Trustees today. “It is frequently and truthfully said that money is best spent by persons during their lifetime. I have in the past, according to my power, endeavoured to act in remembrance of this. Considerably larger means have, however, come to me in later life, and the practical question was presented to me: How can this property be applied in the future so as to secure equal results to those which might have been obtained had I had the administration of it over a lengthened period? It is a matter of great satisfaction to me that these Trusts have been established with the cordial assent of my wife and children.”

Arnold Rowntree

Arnold Rowntree was Joseph’s nephew and invited by him to join the cocoa and chocolate business in 1891. He was a director of Rowntree and Co. from 1891 to 1941. Arnold led a full life, leading the Rowntree family interest in newspapers and becoming a trustee of all three Rowntree trusts. Like other family members he was involved in education, teaching at the Leeman Road adult school and, for some time before his marriage, living in the area to better understand the men’s background and interests. He was MP for York from 1910 to 1918 and championed the cause of conscientious objectors during the First World War, enduring fierce local criticism. His endeavours to create opportunities for service for young male Friends led to the establishment of the Friends’ Ambulance Unit. He was a keen walker, horse-rider and cricketer, having inherited the family love of the outdoors which he passed on to his son, Michael. He was also chair of the Allotments Movement until his death.

Image: From originals held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives.

Transformation of York from market town to city with industrial base

Rowntrees were one of the key drivers in the transformation of York from a market town to a city with an industrial base. “It was an achievement to build up from nothing a great business demanding the services of 7,000 employees. Mr. Rowntree’s abilities and enterprise were equal to more than that. He was a pioneer in that industrial movement that seeks to make the personal well-being as well as the industrial capacity of the worker a first consideration in the development of the undertaking. Only pioneers know the difficulties and misunderstandings in breaking new ground, but Mr. Rowntree’s unswerving fidelity to his eminently practical ideals has made his experimental work of lasting service to the whole industrial world.” Tribute in the Northern Echo following Joseph’s death.

Image: From originals held at the Borthwick Institute for Archives.