Robert Charleton

Robert Charleton (1809 – 5 December 1872) was a Quaker, Recorded Minister and a prominent citizen of Bristol, England. He was a philanthropist and ran a pin-making factory which was noted for its good employment practices. He was an advocate of total abstinence and peaceful relations between nations. Family He was the son of James and Elizabeth Charleton of Bristol. James died at Ashley Hill, Bristol, in 1847. After a business training under H. F. Cotterell, a land surveyor at Bath, became the proprietor of a pin manufactory at Kingswood, near Bristol, in 1833, and continued that business until his retirement in 1852. He married, on 13 December 1849, Catherine Brewster, the eldest daughter of Thomas Fox of Ipswich. He died at his residence, Ashley Down, near Bristol, on 5 December 1872. Pin making Robert Charleton ran one of the largest factories in East Bristol, at Two Mile Hill, Kingswood, from 1831 to 1852. It was inspected by Elijah Waring, the Sub-Commissioner for South Gloucestershire, for the Childrens Employment Commission (1840). The report describes the working condition of the workers, and the outworkers. In 1841 Robert Charleton employed about 110 women and girls and 50 men and boys in the factory. In addition, about 500 women and girl outworkers were employed at heading and sticking. Pin making is an example of the survival of the pre-industrial system of outwork well into the Victorian years of factory based industrial organisation.