Robert Blincoe and the Cotton Trade

A Memoir of Robert Blincoe' published in 1828 was influential in improving the working conditions of children in factories. It is also believed that Charles Dickens based his character Oliver Twist on Robert Blincoe. This book contains the original full 1828 text of the memoir by John Brown and historical notes by the author, Stuart Courtman. The historical notes explore the influences that led to the development of mechanised cotton production and discuss the political and economic changes that shaped the industry. There is examination of the treatment of children in workhouses and mills, and discussion of how the relative conditions at Litton and Cressbrook mills have been perceived over the centuries. There are notes on the wider global forces that contributed to the anti-slavery movements and the demise of cotton manufacturing in India. There are chapters which account for the historical agency of individuals such as Ellis Needham, owner of Litton mill, William Newton, manager of nearby Cressbrook mill and Parson Brown, the local Tideswell vicar. Stuart Courtman has also written a novel 'Blincoe's Progress' which the readers of this book will find interesting.