Isabel Cargill
Isabel Cargill | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 10, 1864 Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand |
| Died | April 17, 1944 (aged 79) Stra, Veneto, Italy |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Known for | Co-founder of Babington's Tea Room |
| Spouse | Giuseppe da Pozzo (m. 1902) |
| Children | Dorothy (b. 1904) |
| Parent(s) | Edward Cargill and Dorothy Nesham |
| Relatives | William Cargill (grandfather) |
Isabel Cargill (10 December 1864 – 17 April 1944) was a New Zealand businesswoman who established English-style tearooms in Rome, Italy, in the early 1890s.[1][2] She is best known as the co-founder of Babington's Tea Room in Rome, established in 1893 with her friend Anna Maria Babington.[3][4]
Biography
Cargill was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, on 10 December 1864.[5][6] She was the granddaughter of William Cargill, the founder of the city, and the fourth daughter of Edward Cargill and his wife, Dorothy Cargill (née Nesham).[7][8]
In the early 1890s she travelled to England and then, with her English friend Anna Maria Babington, to Italy. When they were unable to find a shop selling cups of tea in the city, the pair decided to open an English-style tearooms, which they called Babington's Tea Room.[9]
Cargill also wrote a column, "Letters from Rome" for the Otago Witness newspaper.[9]
In 1902, Cargill married an Italian artist, Giuseppe da Pozzo.[2] The couple had one daughter, Dorothy, who was born in 1904.[10][11]
Cargill died in Stra, Veneto, Italy, on 17 April 1944.[12][13]
Legacy
Babington's Tea Room continues to operate in its original location near the Spanish Steps in Rome. It remains a cultural landmark, known for preserving English tea traditions in Italy and attracting visitors from around the world.[14]
Writings
Cargill contributed a regular column titled "Letters from Rome" to the Otago Witness newspaper, offering New Zealand readers insights into Italian society, culture, and daily life from her perspective as an expatriate in Rome.[9]
Further reading
- Bishop, Catherine (2019). Women Mean Business: Colonial Businesswomen in New Zealand. Dunedin: Otago University Press. ISBN 9781988531762.
- WorldCat
- Google Books
- [Babingtons Tea Rooms in Rome – Cosmopolis](https://cosmopolis.ch/babingtons-tea-rooms-in-rome/): In-depth historical narrative covering Isabel Cargill’s life, the tearoom’s founding, and its survival through war, fascism, and cultural shifts.
- [About Us – Babington’s official site](https://babingtons.com/en/about-us/): Official account of the tearoom’s legacy, including reflections from Isabel’s descendants and the Babingtons Foundation’s social initiatives.
References
- ^ Hutching, Sam; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Babington's Tea Rooms, Rome". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Isabel Cargill". HERITAGE POST. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "About Us". Babington's Tea Rooms. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ "Babingtons Tea Rooms in Rome". Cosmopolis. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
- ^ "Birth search: registration number 1864/18918". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "Birth". Otago Daily Times. No. 928. 12 December 1864. p. 4. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "Personal items from London". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "Death of Mr E. B. Cargill". Otago Daily Times. No. 12737. 10 August 1903. p. 6. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ a b c Bishop, Catherine (2019). Women Mean Business: Colonial Businesswomen in New Zealand. Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago University Press. p. 287. ISBN 9781988531762.
- ^ "Signora da Pozzo". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "Cosmopolis » Babingtons Tea Rooms in Rome". Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ Comerford, Patrick. "Babington's in Rome is more to my taste than the new McDonalds near the Vatican". Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ "Da Pozzo, Isabel – Padua, Italy – widow". Archives New Zealand. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "Babingtons Tea Rooms in Rome". Cosmopolis. Retrieved 7 September 2025.