| Description | Writing from Chalfont House, the Quaker Settlement in Bloomsbury where Newman acted as Warden, Newman thanks Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury for his recent visit to Woodbrooke. Newman writes that he had overheard George Cadbury say at supper one evening that 'the Works at Bournville has been his life's work'. Remarking on this, Newman suggests that 'when we have learned to apply our Christianity' then people would be 'nearer where we ought to be'. He describes the Cadbury Works at Bournville as 'a splendid testimony to applied Christianity'. Significantly, a pencil annotation has been added to this comment, crossing out Newman's reference to the Cadbury Works at Bournville and replacing it with the words 'Bournville is'. It is probable that this amendment was made after Bournville village was developed during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Newman also commends the work of 'the three social institutes' established by George Cadbury in Northfield, Selly Oak and Stirchley during the 1890s. Newman concludes his letter with references to a theological question which had been raised during his visit to the Cadburys.
Section of Newman's letter relating to philanthropic work undertaken by the Cadbury family, particularly their work at Bournville, have been underlined in pencil, indicating that Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury's personal papers have, at some point in their history, been consciously examined for material relating to certain aspects of her life. It is possible that Taylor Cadbury revised Newman's letters to extract comments for use in public addresses relating to Bournville. Indeed, Taylor Cadbury quoted from this letter in her memoir of George Newman written in June 1948. |