Cadbury is the name of an English Quaker family of business people, social reformers, and liberals.
John Cadbury
(1801-1889) opened a shop in Birmingham, England, in 1824, selling groceries, with cocoa and chocolate as a sideline. He was born in Birmingham.
Richard Cadbury and George Cadbury
, John Cadbury’s sons, took over the business in 1861 and expanded the cocoa and chocolate side. In 1868, Richard (1835-1899) designed the first chocolate boxes. In 1879, the brothers founded the town of Bournville, near Birmingham, for their business and its staff. George (1839-1922) was a pioneer in housing, welfare, and adult education. He put many of his ideas into practice at Bournville. He bought land around the factory to prevent slums in the neighborhood. He insisted on providing gardens for the houses of his workers. The adult school movement was the main part of his social work. Hundreds of men learned to read and write because of the movement. In 1901, George became proprietor of the Daily News. Both brothers were born in Birmingham.
Dame Elizabeth Mary Cadbury
(1858-1951), wife of George Cadbury, was a prominent social worker, educator, peace advocate, and philanthropist. She was born in London.
