• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

The Cadbury Family

MWS said:
Interestingly (to me anyway), John and his brother Benjamin married cousins, who were both named Candia.
Click to expand...
Hello MWS, The Cadbury's are intersting to me also because John and therefore his sons George and Rchard are my cousins, John is a 5th cousin and sons George and Richard are 6th cousins. Distant but I'll take it, just wish I had a few shares in the family business. You can pay me in chocolate. Phil
 
Last edited:
pjmburns said:
Richard and George Cadbury (John's sons) have blue plaques. They took over John's ailing business and created the brand we know. They are the ones who built Bournville.
Is this why they have plaques but John doesn't?
Click to expand...
Hi Janice, if it wasn't for John Cadbury and his shop at 93 Bull Street there wouldn't be a business for his sons to inherit. Then where would we be? We would have to put up with all other inferior brands of chocolate. John's shop was known for Tea, Coffee and Cocoa, he introduced drinking chocolate to the masses. Just because his sons have plagues on the houses where they lived doesn’t mean John should not have one on the building where the story of Cadbury Chocolate started, or close to it. The attached shows the addresses of various family members in the 1867 Post Office directory.1867 P.O. Directory.jpg
 
pjmburns said:
I didn't say he shouldn't have a plaque I was merely offering a possibe reason why. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Astoness said:
thanks jan i understood what you meant
Click to expand...
I apologise if I offended anyone, :( it’s all meant to be a bit light hearted and not to be taken too seriously. :) In the meantime, I sent an email to the Birmingham Civic Society who seem to be the ones responsible for Blue Plaques in our City, to ask if there is a plague for John Cadbury somewhere else. I said if there isn’t one can I propose we should have one in Bull Street, accompanied with a marked up photo as in previous post #20. Awaiting a reply!
PhilJohn Cadburys Shop Bull Street.jpg
 
Last edited:
pjmburns said:
No offence taken
Did you check the link in post #33 regarding changes to the blue plaque scheme?
Click to expand...
Hi Janice I did check the website as you suggested and to quote directly from there ...."In 1998 English Heritage initiated a trial national scheme which saw 34 plaques installed in Birmingham, Merseyside, Southampton and Portsmouth. The scheme was discontinued in 2005."
Phil
 
I was thinking more of the fact that this summer people will be able to nominate local people to be added.
 
Today I received a reply from the Birmingham Civic Society about my proposal for a Blue Plaque for John Cadbury and the Blue Plaque Coordinator at BCS has agreed to present it to the Society's Heritage Committee for approval. The down side is it could take a long time before one is put in place.
 
Not publically accessible, but in future might be accessible to small groups. Interesting
 
mikejee said:
I think that is probably as good a spot as can be estimated.
Click to expand...
Hi Mike, just out of interest can you pin-point 93 Bull Street please? I've found this 1840 ish street map while looking for "The Friends Meeting House" where some of the Cadbury family members were buried but there's no numbers on the properties. Incidentally John Cadbury’s father was buried in the grounds of this meeting house. The present newer ‘Priory Rooms Meeting and Conference Centre’ is built on the old meeting house grounds.

Bull St - Meeting House.jpg
 
Many of the older roads in the town were originally numbered consecutively like this, where there was numbering, though many were later renumbered , largely in the early 1880s
 
Hi Mike, so are you saying your 1950 street map could be numbered differently in John Cadbury's time, mid 1800's?
 
No. That comment was just meant following your surprise. I was pointing out that originally many/most streets would have ha either no numbering or consecutive numbering. In cases like this ( pre 1890) always check to see if there has been any sign of renumbering, and , whilst I cannot be absolutely certain that site numbers might have wandered slightly (sometimes houses were not numbered on the outside and the person who listed the property in the directory might have emad e a slight error), I am pretty certain that in general numbering in bull St has not altered over this period
 
I see, thanks again for pinning numbr 93 and for imparting your knowledge. I always know your accuracy is second to none.
Here's a mock-up of where the Cadbury shop started and later showing the expansion of the Barrow Stores.
The placement of a Blue Plaque would be appropriate somewhere near here....

John Cadbury blue plaque.png
 
Last edited:
Hi Geoff, great photo. John Cadbury opened his first grocer shop at 93 Bull Street in 1824, selling Tea, Coffee and Cocoa. Next door, at 92 Bull Street, John’s father, Richard Tapper Cadbury, had already established a Draper’s business.
In 1847, John’s brother, Benjamin Head Cadbury who had taken over 92 Bull Street, became a partner and the company became known as "Cadbury Brothers".
John’s sons, Richard and George joined the business later and they concentrated on the Chocolate side. They went on to build the famous Bournville estate and opened the Bournville factory in 1879.
John’s nephew, Richard Cadbury Barrow son to John’s sister Sarah Cadbury, wife of John Barrow, took over the grocery business at 42 Bull Street. Barrow’s Stores was registered in 1849. The Barrow name was also the name of John Cadbury’s wife Candia Barrow who was sister to John Barrow. "Barrow’s Stores" occupied the premises at 92 and 93 Bull Street, also 74, 76, 78 Corporation Street, they ceased trading in 1964.
The street map below dates to around 1876 showing the proposed route of Corporation Street.

1876 Corporation St proposal.jpg
 
Last edited:
Phil B said:
Today I received a reply from the Birmingham Civic Society about my proposal for a Blue Plaque for John Cadbury and the Blue Plaque Coordinator at BCS has agreed to present it to the Society's Heritage Committee for approval. The down side is it could take a long time before one is put in place.
Click to expand...
For those who are interested; after contacting the Birmingham Civic Society with a proposal for a Blue Plaque for John Cadbury, the founder of Cadbury’s chocolate, their ‘Heritage Committee’ has now replied. Their answer and I quote is “John Cadbury and his shop at 93 Bull Street. The members of the Heritage Committee do not feel that a Blue Plaque is appropriate at this location and are not minded to support the nomination. The role of the Cadbury family in the development of the City is well documented and recognised by Blue Plaques to both Richard and George as well as at the Bournville Estate.”

I then replied to ask for an appeal against this decision by saying and I quote “Would it be a more acceptable location for a Blue Plaque to John Cadbury to be placed where he lived in Edgbaston, similar to the Plaques given to his sons Richard and George Cadbury? John, between 1840 - 1850 lived at 34 Calthorpe Street, Edgbaston and between 1850 - 1860 at 51 Calthorpe Street, Edgbaston, in later in life he lived and died at 10 Harborne Road, Edgbaston.”

A question for ‘mikejee’ for my own curiosity; is Calthorpe Road in Edgbaston the same as Calthorpe Street, when did it change from a Street to a Road?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top