A Rowntree Family Enclave: Water End, Shipton Road and Rawcliffe Lane

Val Burgess

During the late 19^th century and early 20^th century, several members of the Rowntree family moved into or had houses built in a small area of Clifton, with houses and grounds often adjoining each other (fig 1). Most of these houses were substantial villas with sufficient space for the family and their servants. At this time the Rowntrees were cocoa and chocolate manufacturers, and their factory was based at the Cocoa Works on Haxby Road, York, employing over 2000 people in 1902.¹

Members of the family who lived in Clifton were:

• Joseph Rowntree, founder of Rowntree & Co Ltd²

• Benjamin Seebohm Rowntree, Joseph’s son, later company director and social reformer

• Agnes Macdonald, Joseph’s daughter

• Peter Macdonald, Agnes’ husband and doctor at the Cocoa Works

• Winifred Naish, Joseph’s daughter

• Frank Rowntree, Joseph’s nephew

• Theodore Rowntree, Joseph’s nephew

To find out more about each of their houses and see them on an interactive map, head to our map on History Pin.

1. For more on the Cocoa Works, see Alex Hutchinson and James Maxton, The Cocoa Works, York: A History of Rowntree’s and Nestle in Chocolate City (Nestle, 2013).

2. In 1869 Joseph joined his younger brother Henry Isaac in the small cocoa and chocolate making firm of H.I. Rowntree & Co. Henry died in 1883 and Joseph expanded the company and registered the new name in 1897.