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Sir Joseph Terry (7 January 182812 January 1898) was a British confectioner, industrialist and
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
politician who served as
Lord Mayor of York The Lord Mayor of York is the chairman of City of York Council, first citizen and civic head of York. The appointment is made by the council each year in May, at the same time appointing a sheriff, the city's other civic head. York's lord mayor ...
on three occasions. He had previously served as a deputy mayor through his role as town
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
in 1870, and served as
Councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...
for York's Monk Ward from 1860 until this appointment. He further acted as a Justice of the Peace for both the
City of York The City of York, officially simply "York", is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. ...
and the
North Riding of Yorkshire The North Riding of Yorkshire was a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point was at Mickle Fell at . From the Restoration it was used as a lieutenancy area, having b ...
from 1887 until his death. He is widely seen as the driving force behind the success of the confectionery company
Terry's Terry's (formerly Terry's of York) is a British chocolate and confectionery brand. The original company was founded in 1767 in York, England, and was part of the city's famous confectionery triumvirate along with Rowntree's and Cravens. The co ...
, originally co-founded by his father, through the expansion of business operations through the use of the
Humber Estuary The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Trent, Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms ...
to import essential commodities such as sugar and cocoa. Later in his career, he would oversee the company's transition and specialization into a
chocolatiers A chocolatier ( ; ; ) is a person or company that makes and sells chocolate confections. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other raw ingredients. Chocolatiers work artisanally with pre- ...
. Terry had also registered the trademark 'Joseph Terry's and Sons' in 1876, which would later become incorporated under his chairmanship in 1895 as 'Joseph Terry & Sons Ltd.', three years before his death at the age of 70 in 1898, during an attempt to become Member of Parliament for the
City of York The City of York, officially simply "York", is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. ...
constituency in a
by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
.


Early life

Terry was born in
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
, to Joseph Terry, the confectioner and co-founder of Terry's of York, and his wife Harriet Atkinson, the daughter of a successful farmer from Leppington, North Yorkshire and sister-in-law to the elder Terry's initial business partner, Robert Berry. His family's wealth enabled him to attend the independent
St Peter's School, York St Peter's School is a mixed-sex education, co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding and day school (also referred to as a Public school (United Kingdom), public school), in the English City of York, with extensive ...
.Corley, T. A. B. Such wealth had arisen after Terry's of York had advantageously relocated to
St Helen's Square St Helen's Square is an open space in the city centre of York, England. History During the Roman era, Eboracum's south-western gate, the ''porta praetoria'', lay where the square is now. Until the mid-18th century much of the space was occup ...
, in the centre of York, with business benefiting from the City's intake of 30,000 shoppers and tourists daily as a result of significant developments in rail travel. The young Joseph Terry had a comfortable upbringing, with his father's business being well established by the time of his birth due to considerable business acumen and the usage of the expanding railway network to supply his products to a growing British-wide market during the 1830s. He established retail agencies in 75 settlements, mainly in the north, but also in the
Midlands The Midlands is the central region of England, to the south of Northern England, to the north of southern England, to the east of Wales, and to the west of the North Sea. The Midlands comprises the ceremonial counties of Derbyshire, Herefor ...
,
Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...
and
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. In 1836, he was a leading figure in establishing a trade association in London to protect the quality of lozenges and confectionery products from inferior production standards. At the time of his death in 1850, the business had 127 staff, second only to the York glass works as the city's largest employer.


Terry's of York

By the time of the elder Joseph Terry's death in 1850, Terry's was becoming a household name due to its previous trade successes across the country. The younger Joseph, along with his two brothers, Robert and John, are credited with moving confectionery production to an industrial scale with the leasing of a factory at Clementhorpe, beside the River Ouse, in 1862. Its location was particularly advantageous, as the 22-year-old Terry had drawn inspiration from the manipulation of the railways initiated by his father, and saw the benefit of importing and exporting from the river using
steamboats A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...
. Vessels from the
River Humber The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between ...
supplied coal for the factory, while larger ships would import ingredients such as
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
and cocoa from around the world twice a week. The Clementhorpe factory also improved the logistics of the company, providing ample room for the construction of warehouses to store stock. Two years later, there were 400 separate items in the firm's price list, with around 13 of them consisting of chocolate as a main ingredient; others included various candied peels, cakes, biscuits and jams among other more exotic products such as cream balls. Terry's became established as a solely chocolate manufacturer in 1886 when Joseph built a specialized section in the Clementhorpe factory specifically to manufacture cocoa products to compete against such companies as Fry's,
Cadbury's Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational corporation, multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International (spun off from Kraft Foods, Inc., Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second-largest c ...
and
Rowntree's Nestlé UK Ltd. ( ), trading as Rowntree's ( ), is a British confectionery brand and a former business based in York, England. Rowntree developed the Kit Kat (introduced in 1935), Aero (introduced in 1935), Fruit Pastilles (introduced in 1881 ...
. It would be at this factory that the now commonplace chocolate box assortment was invented, with the first named "
Britannia The image of Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin was the name variously appli ...
". The company applied for its first
trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...
in 1876 under the name "Joseph Terry's and Sons." In 1895 it incorporated as Joseph Terry & Sons Ltd., by which time it had around 500 employees. Terry also converted the historically successful St Helen's Square premises into a ballroom and restaurant, whilst retaining its status as a confectionery shop, an arrangement that lasted until 1981.


Political career

A committed
Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
, Joseph Terry's successful local political career stemmed from a philanthropic and active approach to the issues of the citizens of Victorian York, often using his influential status for the benefit of the city's populace. On 23 June 1887, just two days after receiving his
knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
in that years Golden Jubilee Honours, Terry led a deputation to present an album of all documented issues encountered by York residents to
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...
for
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
's inspection. In response, "The Queen turned over a few of the leaves to look at the contents, and bowed her acceptance with stately courtesy and affection". Further philanthropic activity continued into 1893, when Terry presided over a Japanese
bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
behind the York Art Gallery (of which he was chair) where according to ''The York Herald'', he spoke: "It is right to think of our poorer neighbors. If the bazaar is successful, then 1,000 waifs and strays would be entertained on Christmas day in the Corn Exchange."Lewis, Stephen (16 November 2009) On 7 October 1850, Joseph Terry had been granted freedom of the city due to the economic growth York was seeing fueled by his company's success. Chairmanships of local
guilds A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
were to follow; with York's Merchant Taylor's and Merchant Adventurer's both seeing the benefit of representation from a well respected and moneyed benefactor. Other local organizations followed suit; with the York Art Gallery, Horticultural Society and local waterworks company all receiving funding and financial direction by the end of his career. He further assisted in the duties of the York Cricket Club, promoting their historic move to
Bootham Crescent Bootham Crescent in York, England, was the home of York City F.C., York City Football Club and York City Knights, York City Knights rugby league club. With a capacity of 8,256, it was near the city centre, just over a mile from York railway sta ...
in 1881, whilst concurrently serving on advisory panels for both the County Lunatic Asylum and the local
Sunday School ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...
Committee. In 1860, Terry was elected
Councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...
for York's Monk Ward (electoral subdivision), Ward, a rural area close to the modern day
Strays of York The Strays of York is a collective name for four areas of open land, comprising in all over , within the City of York. Their individual names are Bootham Stray, Micklegate Stray (which includes the Knavesmire and Hob Moor), Monk Stray and Walm ...
, as a
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
. He would later be appointed Chairman of the York Conservative Association (something that his grandson, Noel Goddard Terry, would also later achieve). Experience in local government was heightened by his election as
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
, equivalent to a deputy mayoral position, in 1870 under Liberal MP George Leeman, who served as Member of Parliament for the
City of York The City of York, officially simply "York", is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. ...
constituency for three years prior to his appointment as
Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...
. In 1874, Terry became an
Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
of the City, granting him a seat at York's Guildhall for debate in a then partisan chamber under the Conservatives. The party, in response to his growing popularity, allowed him to run for the Lord Mayoralty within the same year, to which he was elected by consensus, defeating the incumbent local brewer, John March. This position granted him the
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the '
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' (a title exclusive to the Lord Mayoralty, not the individual). Despite remaining an alderman for eleven years after his conventional one-year tenure, Terry ran for the same post again in 1885, defeating prolific businessman and philanthropist John Close, this time retaining his post for two successful tenures until 1887's election. In the same year, he was appointed Justice of the Peace for the
City of York The City of York, officially simply "York", is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. ...
and the
North Riding of Yorkshire The North Riding of Yorkshire was a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point was at Mickle Fell at . From the Restoration it was used as a lieutenancy area, having b ...
. Terry was elected Lord Mayor for the fourth and final time in 1891, and remained popular among York residents, with arranged activities such as citywide galas, picnics and church services at the
York Minster York Minster, formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The minster is the seat of the archbishop of York, the second-highest of ...
all funded by the Lord Mayor. York City Council (1980) writes that his name "appeared at the head of every charitable subscription list" and that he was widely recognized as "magnificently bearded".


Personal life

Joseph married twice in his life, producing seven children in total. His first marriage to Frances Goddard, daughter of London-based physician Dr. Joseph Goddard, in 1864 produced three sons before her death in 1866. Following Goddard's death, he remarried in 1871 to Margaret Thorpe, daughter of wealthy landowner William Thorpe of Aldborough Manor. They had a son and three daughters. Margaret also came to be known as "Lady Terry" after Joseph had been knighted in 1887. Joseph's eldest son from his first marriage, Thomas Terry, became the main partner of the business in 1880, as all of his cousins (Sir Joseph's brothers' children) had chosen other professions rather than to join the family business. Thomas is perhaps best recognized for expanding trade to an international market, selling Terry's confectionery products to as far as retailers in Australia and New Zealand. Other notable children of Terry (from the Thorpe marriage) included Sir Francis William Terry,
High Sheriff of Yorkshire The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere o ...
from 1945 to 1946, and Frances Harriet Terry, wife of cricketer Charles Wright, who played
first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is of three or more days scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officially adju ...
for
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between 1882 and 1885 and for
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between 1882 and 1899. Wright is considered to be the first cricket captain to declare an innings closed, something he did in 1890 against
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
. Joseph was also a close friend of Sir Frederick Milner, MP for the City of York constituency from 1883 to 1885. Milner, who led an 1888 presentation celebrating the achievements of both Sir Joseph (though he was absent due to illness) and Lady Terry, was described by ''The York Herald'' as having "had the privilege of Sir Joseph's friendship for many years". Though it is ceremonial for the Lord Mayor of York to reside in the Mansion House, Terry maintained a house on Tadcaster Road, York, known as the "Hawthorn Villa". He also had a summer residence in the small town of
Filey Filey () is a seaside town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is located between Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Scarborough and Bridlington on Filey Bay. Although it was a fishing village, it has a large ...
. This building was later renamed "Langford Villa" and was recognized as
Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
on 23 August 1985.


By-election and death

Terry died of heart failure, induced by over-exertion, at the Royal Station Hotel on 12 January 1898, after attempting to win a
by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
to become Member of Parliament for the
City of York The City of York, officially simply "York", is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. ...
. The by-election was triggered by the death of incumbent
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and former
Solicitor General A solicitor general is a government official who serves as the chief representative of the government in courtroom proceedings. In systems based on the English common law that have an attorney general or equivalent position, the solicitor general ...
Sir Frank Lockwood on 18 December 1897. If successful, he would have served as second member to John Butcher (later the 1st Baron Danesfort), whom he respected for his work within the constituency. Terry died one day before the announcement of the new member was made, and the election was eventually won by famed
admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
and veteran MP
Lord Charles Beresford Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Charles William de la Poer Beresford, 1st Baron Beresford, (10 February 1846 – 6 September 1919), styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British admiral and Member of Parliament. Beresford w ...
by a mere eleven votes, in a controversial recount forced by a Parliamentary petition after he and Liberal candidate Sir Christopher Furness had both obtained 5,643 votes according to initial data. Terry was buried at the York Cemetery on 15 January 1898, where his monument comprised a large granite cross and a small apron of ground.


Legacy

The Merchant Taylor Company of York, which Terry had chaired for many years, expressed condolences but made no donation to his memorial fund. It is thought that this decision was not made on principle as, two years earlier, donations of £5 had been made to the " Mansion House Fund" in memoriam to prolific clergyman James Raine, who was the company's established annual preacher and had died some years before the trust was founded in 1896. However, the national journal ''Chemist and Druggist: The Newsweekly for Pharmacy'' described Terry's passing as "a tragic feature of the recent by-election" and the ''
Yorkshire Herald The newspapers of Yorkshire have a long history, stretching back to the 18th century. Regional newspapers have enjoyed varying fortunes, reflected in the large number of now-defunct papers from Yorkshire. Existing newspapers Daily newspapers *' ...
'' fondly remarked "There was no person in the city more loved or respected, and no-one who was more possessed of the qualities that constitute a genial and amiable Englishman". His personal estate amounted to upon his death. Further positive affirmation came in the form of the construction of the "Terry Memorial Homes" in the Skeldergate area of York, on a section of the front gardens of the Dame Middleton Hospital. The charitable project was built through public
subscription The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service. The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century. It ...
of a collective £1,020 in 1898 in honour of the former Lord Mayor; it consisted of two brick-built
almshouses An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable organization, charitable public housing, housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the povert ...
, intended for married couples over the age of 60, with the York Municipal Charity trustees having the administrative authority to accommodate or reject applicants for tenancy. On 14 March 1996,
English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
designated the two houses as Grade II listed under the name "Terry Memorial Homes Numbers 1 and 2." £200 of the original subscription was invested in
stocks Stocks are feet and hand restraining devices that were used as a form of corporal punishment and public humiliation. The use of stocks is seen as early as Ancient Greece, where they are described as being in use in Solon's law code. The law de ...
, which yielded £6 when exchanged in 1955. Terry's armorial bearings are erected at the houses (which now serve as a hotel) and in stained glass at the All Saints' Church, North Street as of 1978, as Joseph's grandson, Noel Goddard Terry, had helped fund the restoration of the building.


Arms


See also

*
List of Lord Mayors of York The Lord Mayor of York is the chairman of City of York Council, first citizen and civic head of York. The appointment is made by the council each year in May, at the same time appointing a sheriff, the city's other civic head. York's lord mayor ...


Notes


Footnotes


References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Terry, Joseph 1828 births 1898 deaths 19th-century English businesspeople British industrialists British philanthropists Confectioners Conservative Party (UK) councillors Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Councillors in North Yorkshire Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England English justices of the peace History of chocolate Knights Bachelor Lord mayors of York People educated at St Peter's School, York People of the Victorian era Burials at York Cemetery, York