Joseph Rowntree (philanthropist) Joseph Rowntree (philanthropist) Joseph Rowntree (24 May 1836 – 24 February 1925) was an English Quaker philanthropist and businessman from York. Rowntree is perhaps best known for being a champion of social reform, partner and friend of Charles Booth, and his time as a chocolatier at family business "Rowntree's", one of the most important in Britain. Even as a powerful businessman, he was deeply interested in improving the quality of life of his employees; this led to him becoming a philanthropist, pursuing many charitable causes. In 1904 he created three trusts, the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust (JRVT) which was originally
Quaker trusteeship of slaves. He countered the majority's self-preservation argument by noting that that consideration was for the legislature to decide. The decision prohibited Quaker trusts from holding slaves in North Carolina under conditions of virtual freedom. Subsequent decisions in the North Carolina Supreme Court reinforced this decision. The court did not, however, prohibit the use of trusts for the express purpose of sending slaves to be emancipated in other states; rather its major concern was with the conditions of virtual freedom given to slaves held in trust in the state. As a result, those Quakers still committed to the emancipation of