Fonds GB 0096 AL506 - Owen, Robert: letter, 24 Oct 1814

2 leaves

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GB 0096 AL506 1814 fonds 2 leaves Owen , Robert , 1771-1858 , socialist and philanthropist

Robert Owen was born in Newtown, Wales in 1771. He was apprenticed to a draper in Stamford, Northamptonshire. In 1787 Owen moved to Manchester, where he set up a small cotton-spinning establishment, and also produced spinning mules for the textile industry. He became a manager for several large mills and factories in Manchester. In 1794 he formed the Chorlton Twist Company with several partners, and in the course of business met the Scots businessman David Dale. In 1799, Owen and his partners purchased Dale's mills in New Lanark, and Owen married Dale's daughter. At New Lanark, Owen began to act out his belief that individuals were formed by the effects of their environment by drastically improving the working conditions of the mill employees. This included preventing the employment of children and building schools and educational establishments. Owen set out his ideas for model communities in speeches and pamphlets, and attempted to spread his message by converting prominent members of British society. His detailed proposals were considered by Parliament in the framing of the Factories Act of 1819. Disillusioned with Britain, Owen purchased a settlement in Indiana in 1825, naming it New Harmony and attempting to create a society based upon his socialist ideas. Though several members of his family remained in America, the community had failed by 1828. Owen returned to England, and spent the remainder of his life and fortune helping various reform groups, most notably those attempting to form trade unions. He played a role in the establishment of the Grand National Consolidated Trade Union in 1834, and the Association of All Classes and All Nations in 1835. Owen died in 1858.

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Purchased as lot 58 at Christie's sale, 24 Oct 1979.

Letter from Robert Owen of Braxfield, [Lanarkshire] to 'the London Partners in the firm of Robert Owen and Co', 24 Oct 1814. Sending monthly accounts [missing]. Attributing poor trading in cotton to political instability in Europe; explains that unprofitable sales in Russia must continue until the market improves so that the mills [at New Lanark] can be kept working.

See hard copy catalogue.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Please contact the University Archivist for details. 24 hours notice is required for research visits.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

English

Typescript catalogue available in the Library's Palaeography Room.

Presumably, Miss Treadwell retained the original letters after relinquishing these copies; the current whereabouts of the original letters is unknown.

Compiled by Anya Turner.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
July 2008 Owen , Robert , 1771-1858 , socialist and philanthropist Trade (practice) Cotton trade Information sources Documents Financial records Accounts Political science Politics Industry Manufacturing industry Textile industry Cotton textile industry Architecture Buildings Industrial buildings Mills London England UK Western Europe Europe Russia Eastern Europe New Lanark Lanarkshire Scotland Krym Crimea

Purchased as lot 58 at Christie's sale, 24 Oct 1979.

Letter from Robert Owen of Braxfield, [Lanarkshire] to 'the London Partners in the firm of Robert Owen and Co', 24 Oct 1814. Sending monthly accounts [missing]. Attributing poor trading in cotton to political instability in Europe; explains that unprofitable sales in Russia must continue until the market improves so that the mills [at New Lanark] can be kept working.

See hard copy catalogue.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Please contact the University Archivist for details. 24 hours notice is required for research visits.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

• anglais

• latin

English

Typescript catalogue available in the Library's Palaeography Room.

Presumably, Miss Treadwell retained the original letters after relinquishing these copies; the current whereabouts of the original letters is unknown.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

• anglais