Robert Owen

He married Caroline Dale, the daughter of David Dale from whom he bought the New Lanark textile mills. The couple had eight children of whom seven survived to adulthood.

He died on 17 November, 1858 at the age of 87.

He was born as the sixth of seven children to a small businessman, also named Robert Owen. His mother was called Anne Williams.

He went to school only for a few years before being sent to work at a draper’s shop.

He moved to Manchester and found employment at Satterfield’s Drapery. He was very efficient and displayed considerable managerial talents. He became a mill manager at the Chorlton Twist Mills by the time he was 21.

In 1793, he became a member of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society where progressive ideas of reform and enlightenment were discussed. At about the same time he also joined the Manchester Board of Health for promoting health and working conditions of factory workers.

Over the course of his work he became acquainted with a lot of textile businessmen including David Dale, the owner of Chorton Twist Company in New Lanark. He married Dale’s daughter and became a partner in the mill.

He bought the mill from Dale in 1799. The mill was commercially performing well, but Owen believed that true success lay not just in making more profits but also in making the lifestyle of the mill workers better.

When Owen took over the business, the general conditions of the employees were very poor. He opened a store from where they could buy good quality provisions as prior to his arrival the employees were forced to buy low quality rations.

He was a co-founder of utopian socialism along with Henri de Saint-Simon and Charles Fourier. He envisioned an ideal society which incorporated social democratic movements with materialistic social conditions. He played a key role in influencing future socialists like Karl Marx.