Cadbury, George (1839-1922)

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Aylmer Maude to Jane Addams, June 22, 1904

Report on Exhibits on Housing of the Working Class, Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission, February 8, 1906

Jane Addams to Emily Greene Balch, June 26, 1915

List of foreign dignitaries who met with International Congress of Women delegates July 28, 1915

Henrietta Octavia Rowland Barnett to Jane Addams, January 24-28, 1919

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Birth Date

1839-09-19

Death Date

1922-10-24

Birthplace

Edgbaston, Birmingham, England

Biographical Text

George Cadbury was the son of John Cadbury, founder of the Cadbury chocolate company.He took over the Cadbury business with his brother, Richard, in 1861, and they opened a new factory in 1879. Cadbury rented a Georgian style mansion called Woodbrooke, which he bought in 1881 and used to start a Quaker study center. He founded a hospital in Normandy. Cadbury and his brother also built a factory town called Bournville for their workers, as they wanted the workers to live in the best conditions. Cadbury also opened a works committee for each gender to discuss proposals for improving the company, and he also created an annuity, a deposit account and education facilities for every employee. In 1901 he bought the Daily News, which he used to campaign for old age pensions and against the Boer War and sweatshop labor. He also set up the Birmingham Civic Society, donated the Lickey Hills Country Park to the public, donated a large house to the Birmingham Cripples Union to be used as a hospital, and helped re-establish Grove House School as Leighton Park School, a leading Quaker school.

Cadbury married Mary Tylor in 1872. After Tylor's death, he married Elizabeth Mary Taylor in 1888. Cadbury had ten children between both marriages. Cadbury died in 1922.