Joseph Bancroft and His Legacy

Joseph Bancroft and His Legacy. . , Bancroft Mills became a leading manufacturer through one family's business sense and Quaker values., The Founder , Joseph Bancroft was both a devout Quaker and a wise businessman. By keeping his company up-to-date on new trends and treating his employees well, he built one of the world's most successful fabric companies. His family continued the tradition into the 20th century.A Family Business , In 1865, Joseph entered into a verbal agreement with his sons, Samuel and William, to run the business. His sons continued their father's tradition of kind treatment of their employees, while always looking for ways to improve the business. In following decades, Bancroft Mill printed fabrics, developed new dyes, and wove fabric from Rayon (the DuPont Company's first man-made fiber). It also created water-resistant and fire-resistant cloth., [Captions:] , Right: Samuel Bancroft (1840-1915) was also a noted art lover who later donated his collection to the Delaware Art Museum., Below: Joseph Bancroft with his family in the parlor of his home, circa 1868., Joseph Bancroft (1803-1874): Born in England, this Quaker businessman established a textile mill here on the Brandywine River that in later generations became a world leader in production., The Bancrofts were were a close knit family with a deep respect for Quaker values. Joseph Bancroft's family settled near Wilmington because of the large Quaker community there. Joseph's belief in Quaker ideals guided his relationships with his employees., Above: The earliest known photograph of Bancroft Mills, circa 1868., Left: William Poole Bancroft (1835-1928) was not only a businessman, but created a land company that later became the Woodlawn Trustees, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to responsible land use and conservation in the Brandywine Valley and affordable housing in the city of Wilmington., As secretary of his Quaker Meeting, Joseph worked tirelessly to heal a division within the Quaker community. He wrote A Persuasive to Unity to bring the community back together. His efforts took their toll on him, however, and in 1874, he became ill and died of pneumonia.