BAC Bursary for Business History Research

One of the key purposes of the Business Archives Council is to encourage interest in and study of business history and archives, with a remit covering England and Wales. This bursary - made possible by the generosity of Sir Peter Thompson, former Chairman of the National Freight Corporation, and the Wellcome Foundation - provides financial support for researchers to access business and organisational archives who would not otherwise able to do so.

The BAC is delighted to announce the winner of this year's bursary for business history is Buxi Duan, a PhD student at the University of Birmingham. Buxi Duan is exploring the archives of the Cadbury factory and the Bournville village, housed at the Rodger Cadbury Library, to uncover the often-overlooked role of women in shaping this renowned chocolate empire and the model village of Bournville. In addition to stories that discuss the Cadbury family’s Quaker roots and the ‘Garden City Movement’ that influenced Bournville’s design and development, this research project aims to use the Cadbury archives as a case study to highlight the significance of working-class women’s contributions. It also seeks to understand how working-class women transitioned from roles primarily focused on domestic tasks to broader societal engagement in the early twentieth century.

For any additional queries about the BAC Bursary, please contact Alix Green: alix.green@essex.ac.uk

Details of the past winners can be found here