Benjamin Seebhom Rowntree

Benjamin's parents created the 'Rowntree Chocolate Company'. A very forward-thinking Company, they believed if you paid workers a better salary and worked shorter hours, this would in turn make the company workers more productive as they would have more reserves to feed themselves and be less tired by over-exertion. The Company introduced a five-day week and an eight-hour day, an in-house Doctor, and 'Social Helpers'. The Company expanded and thrived with these new policies, their views on the worker's welfare proved their policies were well received.

Seebohm had read Booth's work and after a visit to Newcastle, he was deeply troubled and concerned by the standard of living and the poverty the poor were living. He wondered if Booth's work could be carried out similarly and decided to investigate and survey the working-class homes of York.

In analysing the immediate causes of “primary” poverty he stated that 51.96 percent of the working class families in York were in regular work but had low wages. 22.16 percent was the largeness of the family and 15.63 percent the death of the chief wage earner. He noted for the largeness of the family they would not have been in poverty if they had not exceeded more than four children.