Charles Roe

Charles Roe (7 May 1715 – 3 May 1781) was an English industrialist. He played an important part in establishing the silk industry in Macclesfield, Cheshire and later became involved in the mining and metal industries.

Early life and career

Charles Roe was born in Castleton, Derbyshire, the youngest of the eight children of Rev Thomas Roe, vicar of Castleton, and his wife Mary née Turner. His father died when he was aged eight and the family moved to Stockport, Cheshire. Soon after this his mother also died and Charles went to live with siblings in Macclesfield. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, it is thought that he was educated at Macclesfield Grammar School.

Mining and the metal industry

He started mining copper at Coniston in the Lake District in 1756 and around the same time at Alderley Edge, Cheshire. In 1758 he built a copper smelter on Macclesfield Common He entered into partnership with Brian Hodgson of Buxton, who had coal-mining interests at Disley. Roe then built brass-wire and rolling mills at Eaton near Congleton and at Bosley. Initially he bought copper ores from the Duke of Devonshire's mine at Ecton Hill, Staffordshire (see also Ecton Mines) but then extended his own mining interests to Penrhyn-Du in North Wales in 1763.

Personal life

In 1743 Roe married Elizabeth Lankford, daughter of a button merchant of Leek, with whom he had three children who survived infancy. Elizabeth died in 1750 and Roe then married Mary Stockdale in 1752 with whom he had eight children. Mary died in 1763 and Roe married Rachel Harriott in 1766, with whom he had one son. Roe was buried in the family vault in Christ Church.

Legacy

Charles Roe lived from 1753 until his death in 1781 in Charles Roe House in Macclesfield on Chestergate (SK11 6DY). This is a Grade II* Listed building which was fully restored in 2017. The Silk Museum Heritage Centre is in Roe Street, Macclesfield, the street being named after Charles Roe. West Park Museum, Macclesfield, contains a display about his life.