The Rowntree Family

Joseph Rowntree (1836-1925), who joined his brother, Henry Isaac Rowntree (1838-1883) and turned the struggling Rowntree chocolate and cocoa company into a major enterprise, was the son of another Joseph (1801-1859) who was a grocer in York, and his wife, Sarah. 'Our' Joseph (the one born in 1836) married twice - first to Julia Seebohm, who died in 1863 soon after giving birth to their only child, known as Lilley, who died six years later.

Joseph married Emma (known as Antoinette) Seebohm in 1867, and she died in 1924, shortly before he did. They had six children, one of whom was Seebohm Rowntree (1871-1954) whose studies of poverty in York at the turn of the century helped to shape the welfare state which emerged after the Second World War.

Amongst other members of this extraordinary family, we should also note Arnold Rowntree (1872-1951), Joseph's nephew, who was for many years Liberal Member of Parliament for York.