Charles Pinney

Charles Pinney (29 April 179317 July 1867) was a British merchant and local politician in Bristol, England. He was a partner in a family business that ran sugar plantations in the West Indies and owned a number of slaves. Pinney was selected as mayor of Bristol in 1831 and within weeks had to manage the response to major riots. Public order was lost for a number of days and significant damage caused to the city centre. Pinney was charged with neglect of duty over his actions but was acquitted at trial. He returned to local government as an alderman, holding the position until 1853. Early life and career Charles Pinney was the youngest son of John Pretor Pinney and his wife Jane (née Weekes), sugar planters and traders in Nevis, West Indies. Charles was born on 29 April 1793, after the couple returned to England and settled at 7 Great George Street in Bristol. Charles took over the running of his father's business, in partnership with Robert Edward Case, which included the ownership of a number of slaves on plantations in the West Indies. Pinney was a member of the Whig Party and was president of the Anchor Society, which was then associated with the party, in 1822. He was selected as a councillor in the Bristol Corporation in 1822 and served as a sheriff from 1823-24. Pinney was one of the few Whigs in the Tory-dominated corporation, but he served until it was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. Pinney also helped to found and run a Mechanics' Institute in the city and was a supporter of the 1830 French Revolution. Mayor during the 1831 riots