Charles Pinney

Profile & Legacies Summary

29^th Apr 1793 - 17^th Jun 1867

Claimant or beneficiary

Biography

Merchant of Bristol, partner in Pinney and Case (q.v.), brother of John Frederick Pinney (q.v.) and Mayor of Bristol during the 1831 riots over the Reform Bill, and a major recipient of compensation in Nevis and St Kitts, primarily as mortgagee.

Son of John Pretor Pinney, sugar planter and merchant, and Jane Weekes, daughter of Major William Burt Weekes, both of Nevis. Born Bristol 29/04/1793, took over father's business 'to become a merchant and a slave owner, in partnership with E. Case at Bristol.' Came close to proposing to daughter of Wilberforce, married instead 08/03/1831 Frances Mary Still (2 sons and 1 daughter). Common Councillor in Bristol 1822-1835, sheriff 1823-4, one of few whigs in on the council. President of Whig Anchor society 1822. Sworn in as mayor 16/09/1831. Tried and acquitted of neglect of duty 25/10/1832. One of first aldermen of reformed corporation 1835-1853. President of Merchant Venturers 1844-5.
A "keen and very active member of a number of religious and charitable organisations, among them the National School Committee and the Bristol and Clifton Association for Promoting Moral and Religious Improvement of Ireland. Having supported the conversion of enslaved people to Christianity he had found [post-1834] a new cause and turned his attention to converting Irish Catholics to Protestantism." He also favoured the importation of Indian indentured servants to Jamaica following Emancipation.
Will of Charles Pinney of Camp House Clifton who died 17/06/1867 proved 02/09/1867 by executors including sons Frederick Wake Pinney of Somerton and Rev. John Charles Pinney of Coleshill Warks, effects under £60,000.

Sources

Baigent, Elizabeth. 2005 "Pinney, Charles (1793–1867), mayor of Bristol." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 7 Jul. 2019. https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-22303.
Christine Eickelmann, 'Mountravers Plantation', https://seis.bristol.ac.uk/~emceee/ [accessed 01/05/2019] for a full account of the Mountravers estate from the 1730s to the 1990s. Quote from Postscript.
National Probate Calendar 1867.

We are grateful to Ruth Hecht for her assistance with compiling this entry.

Further Information

Absentee?

British/Irish

Spouse

Frances Mary Still

Children

Frederick Wake, Rev. John Charles

Wealth at death

£60,000

Occupation

Merchant

Oxford DNB Entry

Visit Oxford Dictionary of National Biography site

Associated Claims (12)

Associated Estates (5)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

SD - Association Start Date
SY - Association Start Year
EA - Earliest Known Association
ED - Association End Date
EY - Association End Year
LA - Latest Known Association

1828 [EA] - 1828 [LA] → Owner

Clarke's [ Nevis ]

The estate was 'given up' to Charles Pinney as mortgagee

1825 [EA] - 1828 [LA] → Owner

Mount Sion or Symonds [ Nevis ]

01/10/1826 [SD] - 1828 [LA] → Owner

Parris (also known as Black Rock) [ Nevis ]

1828 [SY] - 1834 [EY] → Joint owner

Stoney Grove [ Nevis | St John Figtree ]

1827 [SY] - 1828 [EY] → Joint owner

West Farm [ St Kitts | Trinity Palmetto Point ]

The start year which has been entered is the earliest date verifiable by the sources which have been viewed. In the 1827 - 1828 Register it is recorded that Pinney Ames and Co. had received the estate "from Thomas Pemberton Receiver for the Court of Chancery for the estates of Joseph Syder died". However, the date on which this occurred is not recorded in the register.
Charles Pinney sold the estate to John James Amory in June 1828,

Legacies Summary

Commercial (2)

Senior partner

Pinney and Ames
West India merchant

Details

Firm Investment

Great Western Cotton Company
Cotton Mill

Details

notes →

28/02/1837: "Deed of Partnership - (1) Joseph Bell Clarke of Manchester, cotton manufacturer, William Edward Acraman, Alfred John Acraman, Philip William Skynner Miles, Thomas Kington, Peter Maze,...