12 of the 77 embroidery panels feature on this years fundraising calendar. This month our 2025 calendar features ‘Industrial Welfare’, so we thought we’d share the fascinating history and embroidery techniques featured in it.
The Quaker Company and London Lead Company
In 1704 several mining and smelting companies consolidated into the Quaker Company or London Lead Company, with operations over a wide area of the country, including Northumberland, Weardale, and Teesdale. This brought hundreds of workers and their families into an area where housing and villages were scarce. The company undertook the social welfare of the area, providing housing, roads, allotments, shops, schools, chapels, health care and recreation.
Co-operative Societies
Towards the end of the 18th century there was a rapid increase in the price of food causing widespread hunger and poverty. The Quaker Company bought a mill and corn in bulk, then sold the flour to their workers at cost price. This scheme, encouraged by the Company, enabled people to form their own associations, buying food in bulk more cheaply and selling to their members. In effect they were pioneer Co-operative Societies.
Social Gospel movement, social awareness
Many Quaker firms were leaders in the growing Social Gospel movement. John Wilhem Rowntree, eldest son of Joseph Rowntree, spoke often on the theme that the gospel must be social. “God is social”, he wrote “and Man is social because God is love and because love expresses itself through personal relationships”. Without this underlying conviction of the importance of personal relationships, any scheme of industrial welfare will become arid.
Huntley and Palmers, biscuit makers of Reading, were the first firm to introduce protective clothing and a work canteen, always known as the ‘Breakfast Room’.
By 1902 Rowntrees of York had over 2000 employees. Joseph Rowntree II bought 123 acres of land which became the village of New Earswick, offering good housing and run by an enthusiastic and innovative village council. A works doctor and dentist were appointed, schools opened, and a works pension scheme explored.
George and Richard Cadbury started Bournville in 1895 near Birmingham. Bournville was a much bigger village than New Earswick, and on the outskirts of a large industrial city. Housing and Social Reformers were quick to point out that, for example, infant mortality in Bournville was just half that in Birmingham. The scheme was handed over to Bournville Village Trust to avoid accusations of paternalism. To a certain extent this accusation was justified, but paternalism was a necessary step towards manufacturers and industrialists becoming more socially aware of their responsibilities not only to their workforce, but also to the wider community, and to the environment.
About the stitches
Bourneville Gardens depicts a gardener digging outside a typical Cadbury garden village house (the design features in our ‘Gardener’ embroidery kit) At the bottom of the panel we see some of the introductions made in careful embroidery – clinics, schools and sports facilities. In the ‘Education’ cameo; the sums on the blackboard are so clearly embroidered that you can calculate the unfinished sum. The teacher’s gold-rimmed spectacles show attention to detail and were great fun to embroider.
You can view ‘Industrial Welfare’, and other panels, here at Quaker Tapestry Museum, Kendal or view all 77 panels on our website
Buying lovely things from us directly supports our charitable work, thank you
Postcards of this, and other panels, are available for you to keep or send.
Your purchase helps us to preserve and exhibit one of the world’s largest community embroideries and in sharing its stories, history and stitches for all to enjoy.
We are appealing to our supporters to help us raise £5,000 By supporting this appeal, you are contributing to the preservation and celebration of Quaker history and culture for generations to come. Please make a donation by using this link or contact us to set up a regular donation by standing order, or to pay by cheque, card or bank transfer. Thank you for your support!
Don’t forget to Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer, please Gift Aid your donation, by ticking the Gift Aid box at the checkout. This allows us to claim a further 25p from HMRC on every pound you donate at no extra cost to you, e.g if you donate £50, the Quaker Tapestry receives £62.50
Thank you for your support!
