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William Warder Cadbury papers
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Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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William Warder Cadbury (1877-1959), a quaker, was the son of Joel and Anna Kaighn Cadbury. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was a member of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for the Western District (now Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting). He graduated from William Penn Charter School in 1894, received a B.A. and M.A. from Haverford College in 1898 and 1899, respectively, earned an M.D. from University of Pennsylvania in 1902, and received an honorary Sc.D. from Haverford College in 1936. He married (1) Sarah I. Manatt in 1911 (d. 1912) and (2) Catharine Balderston Jones in 1917, with whom he had three daughters.
Cadbury served as resident physician at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia from 1903 to 1905, and went abroad for graduate study in Vienna in 1905, before returning to teach pathology and pharmacology at University of Pennsylvania from 1906 to 1907 and to work as a pathologist at St. Mary's Hospital from 1906 to 1909.
Cadbury's decision to take up a medical missionary post in China was made in late 1908. In 1909, he took up a professorship at Canton Christian College (later Lingnan University) in Canton (Guangzhou), China, and from 1909 to 1941 was a medical missionary supported by some members of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and the Cadbury Fund that was created to assist his work. (The Canton Medical Missionary Society which had oversight of Canton Hospital transferred the care of the hospital to the Board of Directors of Lingnan University in 1930.) He became Superintendent of Canton Hospital in 1930, and was also vice-president of the Chinese Medical Association from 1935 to 1937 and Canton chairman of the International Red Cross from 1938 to 1941. In about 1924, General Lei Fuk Lam gave his son, James Cadbury Lei, to William Warder Cadbury in order for him to learn American culture. General Lei contributed funds to construct a small hospital and clinic on the Lingnan campus, operated under Dr. Cadbury's direction and later moved to Canton Hospital.
During World War II, William Warder Cadbury and his wife were interned by the Japanese from 1941 to 1943, although they had considerable freedom until February, 1943, when they were removed to a camp in Canton (Guangzhou). Upon their release, they returned to the United States for two years, where Cadbury worked at Friends Hospital. Cadbury resumed his position in Canton (Guangzhou) from 1945 until 1949, when he and Catherine were forced out of China by the Communist government. The Cadburys then returned to New Jersey for the following 10 years. Cadbury sat on the Board of Lingnan University for a part of this time, as well as serving as an honorary curator of ferns at the Academy of Natural Sciences.
During his life, Cadbury was the author of 150 medical articles, 230 articles on religion and other topics, and a book on the history of Canton Hospital, At the Point of a Lancet, which he wrote in 1935 with Mary Hoxie Jones, his neice. He had an avid interest in orchids and created an orchid garden at his residence in China. "Dr. Cadbury represented two old but enduring traditions: the physicianbotanist and the Quaker naturalist…Perhaps, with renewed friendship between China and the United States, an American orchidist will visit Canton some day and find Dr. Cadbury's manuscript in the care of Chinese botanists. It would please him to know that his study of orchids, like his medical teaching, has bridged the gap between peoples."
Information from Dictionary of Quaker Biography, a compilation of Quaker biographies in typescript form located at Haverford College and Friends House, London, from article by Howard P. Wood and from internal evidence
The papers of William Warder Cadbury consist of correspondence during the period of 1908 to 1950, documents relating to Cadbury's organizational affiliations, photographs, and material written by and about Cadbury. Cadbury's principal correspondent was Elizabeth B. Jones. Other correspondents include Rufus Jones, Thomas Wistar, Jr., S.C. Chen, and James Henry.
Cadbury writes about his desire to become a medical missionary in China in 1908; his interest in founding a Christian medical school in China; his impact teaching Christianity to Chinese students; his life and work in China; Japan's war on China; the work of his wife, Catharine Cadbury, supervising many local schools; reference to his internment by the Japanese army; the liberation of Canton (Guangzhou) in 1949; and the orphans of Canton (Guangzhou).
There is a book of course notes prepared by William Warder Cadbury for a course on comparative religion, published letters, and other material by and about Cadbury, as well as photographs, primarily those depicting Cadbury from infancy to old age. There are documents produced by and about organizations with which Cadbury was involved in the period 1923-1951, including Canton Hospital, Canton International Red Cross, Direct China Relief Incorporated, Kwangtung International Relief Committee, Canton Committee for Justice to China, and the China Medical Missionary Association.
Arranged in four series.
The William Warder Cadbury papers were donated to Special Collections, Haverford College in 1980 by Mary Hoxie Jones.
Original processing information unknown. Finding aid revised and collection reboxed by Seabrook Jeffcoat; completed February, 2020.
People
- Cadbury, Catharine Balderston
- Cadbury, William Warder
- Henry, James M.
- Jones, Elizabeth B. (Elizabeth Bartram)
- Jones, Rufus M. (Rufus Matthew), 1863-1948
Organization
Subject
- Hospitals -- China
- Society of Friends -- Missions -- China
- Missionaries, Medical -- China -- Guangzhou
- Quakers -- China
- Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945
- Universities and colleges -- China
- Medical education -- China
- World War, 1939-1945 -- China
- Red Cross and Red Crescent
Place
- Publisher
- Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).
Collection Inventory
This folder contains letters primarily addressed to his sister, Elizabeth Bartram Cadbury Jones, and brother-in-law, Rufus M. Jones. Other recipients of the letters include Thomas Wistar Jr., his mother, and Warfield T. Longcope. Almost all letters include family information, and other topics include his desire to go on a mission to China to assist with the founding of a medical school, his experiences living in China and working at Canton Christian College and the medical schools, religion, travels in Japan, and his upcoming marriage to Sarah I. Manatt.
This folder primarily contains letters addressed to his sister, Elizabeth Cadbury Jones. Other recipients include Dr. Chen Yuan Cheueh, "dear home ones," the Board of Directors of Lingnan University, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, and the National City Bank of New York. Also included is a letter to Elizabeth Cadbury Jones from Catharine Cadbury, William's wife. Topics include Cadbury's life and work in China and furlough home to Moorestown, N.J. in 1916, World War I, fighting in China (including Cadbury's relationship with General Lei), and a visit from Mary Hoxie Jones, his niece.
This folder contains letter primarily addressed to Elizabeth Cadbury Jones. Other recipients include Rufus and Mary Jones, "family," "friends," the Japanese Consul General, Mr. Wannamaker, and Dr. J. O. Thomson. Topics include Cadbury's experiences living in China, the impact of the Second Sino-Japanese War (also known as the Second China-Japan War and the War of Chinese Resistance Against Japanese Aggression), Japanese occupation of Canton, a typhoon in 1937, the onset of World War II, and the case of Dr. Khan. Also included is a letter from Emma Cadbury to Elizabeth Cadbury Jones while in Vienna in 1938 describing the political situation there and a pamphlet titled "Canton Committee for Justice to China.
This folder includes letters discussing the operations of Canton Hospital, Cadbury's arrest by the Japanese Imperial Army and the removal of some possessions from his home, treatment of lepers at the Tungkun Leper Asylum (primarily about the the arrival of funds, accepting lepers from other asylums and a proposal to establish leprosarium), orphans in Canton (particularly related to the China's Children Fund and records of the children), and the Cadbury's trip to New Zeland and Australia.
The majority of letters are from the 40s-50s and are primarily to William Warder Cadbury instead of from him. The letters are from a variety of people including S.C. Chen, Yeung Tai Fong, James Henry, the Milch family Topics include letters discussing the Chinese Medical Association, Cadbury's appointment to Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Lingan Hospital, the Christian Children's Fund, the Council on Medical Missions, desire of a Hong Kong student wishing to study in the Phillippines, operations of Lingan University and Hospital, American Consulate being withdrawn from Canton, the political situation in China and the world, the liberation of Canton by the People's Liberation Army, U.S. immigration issues, and conversion.
This folder contains extracts of a letters by George Fitch and Betty Jean Woo. Also included is extracts from Dr. Thomas' address.
This folder includes photos of the Cadbury family homes, the grandchildren of William and Catharine Cadbury (Phillip, Mickie, Bobbie, Ginny, and Susie), William Warder Cadbury, General Lei Fuk Lam, James Cadbury Lei, Mr. Tong, Sarah Manatt Cadbury, Catharine Cadbury, Jane B. Cadbury, Emma Cadbury, Kit Cadbury, William and Catherine Cadbury's children, and Elizabeth Cadbury Jones.
This folder includes an article in the Canton Daily Sun about Cadbury's involvment in Direct China Relief Incorporated, a flyer for a food, medicine, and clothings drive, report of distribution of supplies around Canton, an inventory of cases of medical supplies, and the annual report.
This folder includes the minutes for an executive committee meeting, a pamphlet about the organization, a newspaper artile in the South China Morning Post about the injustices committed by the Japanese and the forming of the Committee, a pamphlet about the bombing of Canton, a letter from the chairman asking for assistance, and a pictorial booklet called "The Bombing of Canton."
This folder includes a mission statement, an inventory of supplies handed out for Direct China Relief, copy of article "Some Comments on the UNRRA-CNRRA Welfare Program" by Douglas Falconer, meeting minutes, a letter appointing Cadbury to the Subcommittee of Medical Relief, and an inventory of medical supplies distributed by Cadbury.
This folder contains meeting minutes, a pamphlet about the Canton International Red Cross, and a report from the Canton Refugee Area Committee.
This folder contains meeting minutes for the Canton International Red Cross, an expense report for October of 1940, a handwritten letter to W. Cadbury, a plan for the distribution of farina, Oats, and wheat, a report, and pamphlets explaining what the organization did.
This folder contains lists of members of the Medical Missionary Association of China in 1923 and 1926-27, leaflets, a booklet written in Chinese, a letter to Cadbury from the American Medical Association regarding the elegibility of medical missionaries for Associate Fellowships, a newspaper of an article titles "China's Doctors" in the Morning Post, a draft of the Associations code of medical ethics, and proposed constitutions and by-laws.
This folder contains a grade report, Teachers Daily Record books, reports about Lingnan University, letters to the board of trustees, a faculty directory, photos of the university, letters from the provost, a copy of a confidential report from the trustees, and a brocure with photographs of Canton Christian College.
This folder contains a notebook entitled "Comparative Religion for Lingnan Students," along with what appear to be miscellaneous notes also related to WWC's time teaching at Lingnan.
This folder contains documents pertaining to the Canton hospital, including minutes of the board of trustees, reports, letters from Yenching University, a statement from the Vice-Chairman of the Central People's Government, and information related to staff and patients.
This folder contains one article from the Lingnan News and another from Old Penn, the Weekly Review of the University of Pennsylvania
This folder contains materials published by William Warder Cadbury about his time in Canton and at the Lingnan University.
This folder contains a letter to Elizabeth B. Jones from Edward Wood about William Warder Cadbury, an extract from a letter from Cadbury, a pamphlet about Canton, and a certificate from the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
Published in October, 1927, by E.G. Berryman and Sons in London. Has misc. notes shoved between the pages, assumed to be related.
Table of contents indicates range of items from W.P.C.S. and Haverford College papers to articles for The Friend, e.g. on becoming a missionary, and for American Friend and Friends Intelligencer, e.g. on bombings in China, and many other articles on China.
Table of contents indicates range of items from Haverford College papers to unpublished papers and medical journal publications.
Includes reports on diseases, religious and social services and statistics on numbers of patients.