Scott Bader & the Commonwealth
In 1951, a Swiss Quaker named Ernest Bader did something almost unheard of in British industry. He gave his company to the people who worked in it — and asked for nothing in return.
"He died owning no personal business assets, no private house, and no car."
Ernest Bader, 1890–1982 · Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Ernest Bader, 1890–1982
Ernest Bader was born in Switzerland on 24 November 1890. Originally a conscientious objector in his home country, he came to England and founded Scott Bader Ltd in 1921 with his wife Dora Scott — a chemical company making synthetic resins and composite materials, initially based in Finsbury Square, London.
In 1943, the company moved to Wollaston, Northamptonshire, bringing with it jobs, investment and a man whose ideas about industry and society were unlike almost anyone else in British business.
Bader joined the Society of Friends — the Quakers — in 1945. His thinking was shaped by George Fox, Mahatma Gandhi, John Middleton Murry and Wilfred Wellock. He believed that the ownership of industry by private individuals was fundamentally unjust, and that the purpose of a company was to serve its workers and its community — not to enrich its owners.
He was a co-founder of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1957, a member of the Committee of 100, and in 1958 established Demintry — the Society for Democratic Integration in Industry — with Canon John Collins.
When he died in Wollaston on 5 February 1982, aged 91, Ernest Bader owned no personal business assets, no private house and no car. He had given everything away — and meant it.
Born
24 November 1890, Switzerland
Died
5 February 1982, Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Company founded
Scott Bader Ltd, 1921 — Finsbury Square, London
Moved to Wollaston
1943 — and never left
Commonwealth formed
1951 — company given to its employees
The Scott Bader Commonwealth
In 1951, Ernest Bader transferred ownership of Scott Bader Ltd to its employees, forming the Scott Bader Commonwealth — one of the earliest and most principled experiments in common ownership in British industrial history.
The terms were deliberate and radical. No individual could own a controlling share. The company could not be sold. Profits were to be shared with workers and donated to charitable causes. The Commonwealth was structured so that future generations of employees would inherit the same rights and responsibilities as those who came before.
The book about Bader's life was titled, simply, The Man Who Gave His Company Away. It was not a metaphor. He did exactly that.
Today, Scott Bader is an international company employing around 700 people, still headquartered in Wollaston. It remains employee-owned under the Commonwealth structure Bader created more than seventy years ago.
A life in Wollaston
Ernest Bader born in Switzerland
Born 24 November 1890. A Swiss national, he would become a conscientious objector and lifelong pacifist, shaped by his Quaker faith and the horrors of two world wars.
Scott Bader Ltd founded
Ernest and his wife Dora Scott founded Scott Bader Ltd, with offices in Finsbury Square, London. The company manufactured synthetic resins and composite materials.
The company moves to Wollaston
Scott Bader relocates its operations to Wollaston, Northamptonshire — bringing with it employment, investment and a remarkable social experiment that would shape the village for generations.
Bader joins the Society of Friends
Ernest Bader formally joins the Quakers. His faith deepened his conviction that industry should serve people, not the other way around. The ideas of Gandhi, George Fox and John Middleton Murry all influenced his thinking.
The company is given to its employees
In one of the most remarkable acts in British industrial history, Ernest Bader transferred ownership of Scott Bader to its workers, forming the Scott Bader Commonwealth. Employees became co-owners. No individual — including Bader himself — could profit from selling the company.
Co-founder of CND
Bader co-founded the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He was also a member of the Committee of 100, the direct action group associated with Bertrand Russell. His pacifism was not passive — it was active and public.
Demintry established
Together with Canon John Collins, Bader established Demintry — the Society for Democratic Integration in Industry — to promote worker ownership and democratic workplaces across Britain.
Ernest Bader dies in Wollaston
Ernest Bader died on 5 February 1982, aged 91, at his home in Wollaston. At the time of his death he owned no personal business assets, no private house and no car. He had given it all away.
The Scott Bader Commonwealth Centre
The Scott Bader site in Wollaston is home to the Commonwealth Centre — a community venue that hosts concerts, performances, events and gatherings for the village and the wider area.
It is where The Wollaston Singers perform their annual shows, where community events are held, and where the legacy of Ernest Bader's vision continues to benefit the village he made his home.
The venue sits within the grounds of the original Wollaston Hall estate, and the connection between the company, the village and the community remains as strong today as it was when Bader first arrived in 1943.
Events at the Commonwealth Centre
The Village Diary lists all upcoming events at the Commonwealth Centre and across Wollaston. Check it regularly — events are added as soon as we hear about them.
Scott Bader is an employee-owned company. To learn more about the Commonwealth and its work, visit scottbader.com.