to write Blincoe's biography and gave it to social activist Richard Carlile. In 1828, Carlile decided to publish the tale in his newspaper The Lion in five weekly episodes between 25 January and 22 February and The Poor Man's Advocate. The book exposed the poor conditions in the cotton mills, and just after the reprint in 1832, the government investigated the mills. Blincoe's spinning machinery was destroyed in a fire in 1828. Destitute and unable to pay his debts, he was imprisoned in Lancaster Castle for some time. After his release, he became a cotton-waste dealer. This business was finally successful, and he was able to pay for his three children's education. In 1832, John Doherty published A Memoir of Robert Blincoe in a pamphlet form. Death and legacy In 1833 Blincoe was questioned by Dr. Francis Bisset Hawkins for the commission on the employment of children in factories. He spoke about the impact on his health of working in a cotton mill from the age of 7, and described physical punishments suffered by children working in factories. He also stated that he'd rather see his children transported to Australia than put them to work in factories. When giving evidence, he mentioned his Memoir, which was included in the commission's report as a result. Blincoe died of bronchitis in his daughter's house in 1860. According to John Waller, in his book The Real Oliver Twist, Blincoe's life story was told to the writer John Brown, who wrote the manuscript of a biography of Blincoe before committing suicide later the same year. But Brown had given his manuscript to a friend, Richard Carlile, who published the resulting book, A Memoir of Robert Blincoe, in five episodes in his magazine The Lion in 1832. In his book The Real Oliver Twist, John Waller asserts that Charles Dickens based his character Oliver Twist on Blincoe, but no firm documentary or anecdotal evidence exists that Dickens had heard of Blincoe. See also Ellen Hooton Litton Mill Books and references References External links Grandad? Is that you?, an article written by author Nicholas Blincoe about his ancestor. 1792 births 1860 deaths Writers from London Child labour Deaths from bronchitis British autobiographers