Charles Inman of Spital Old Hall

Grandson of the slave-trader and merchant Charles Inman (q.v.) and son of the Lancaster West India merchant Robert Inman. Two of his sons have entries in the ODNB: Thomas (1820-1876) as 'physician' and William, 'founder of the Inman line of steamships.' His grandson Wilfred Alexander Inman moved to Australia and married into the family of Sir James Martin the Chief Justice.

1. Charles Inman became a partner in Pickfords, a common carrier between Manchester and London and precursor of the modern removal firm, in 1817. The history on the company's website shows the relaunch of the business (which dated from the 17th century) in 1817 as significant to its development, attributing the firm's revival to Joseph Baxendale, who joined as partner at the same time as Inman. In 1963 the firm became part of NFC, privatised in the early 1980s, and was subsequently purchased in 1999 by Clayton Dubilier Rice. The UK moving operations were sold in 2008 to Yogesh Mehta.

2. Born 15/11/1791 and baptised 15/12/1791 in Lancaster, son of Robert Inman and his wife Ann. Charles Inman of St Mary's, Leicester, merchant, married Jane Clay of Holy Trinity, Liverpool, in Holy Trinity in 1817. They had six children baptised in Leicester: Robert (1828), Thomas (1820), Mary Ann (1823), William (1825), Elizabeth (1827), Richard (1828) and George (1830). Later censuses reveal another daughter, Mary Ann born c. 1823 and another son, Charles born c. 1824, for whom no baptisms has been found. In 1841 Charles Inman, banker, was living at Netherfield Road, Everton, with his wife, children, sister Mary and servants. He was at Netherfield Road North in the census of 1851, merchant, with two of his daughters, a niece Elizabeth Clay, female servants and an office boy.

3. Will of Charles Inman formerly of Everton and late of Spital Hall in Bebbington who died 11/11/1858 proved 22/12/1858 by Charles Inman of Spital Hall and William Inman of Harefield House Upton Cheshire the sons, and George Swainson of 27 Rodney Street cotton broker, effects under £60,000.

1. London Gazette 17238 8 April 1817 p. 872; https://www.pickfords.co.uk/pickfords-history [accessed 30/08/2019].

2. Findmypast.co.uk, Lancashire Baptisms [database online]; Findmypast.co.uk, Leicestershire Baptisms [database online]; Familysearch.org, England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 [database online]; 1841 and 1851 censuses online.

3. National Probate Calendar 1858.

We are grateful to Robert Lancashire for his assistance with this entry.