(1715-1781)
Charles Roe was the founder of Roe & Company, also known as the Macclesfield Copper Company. Roe was actually born in Castleton, Derbyshire, but moved to Macclesfield in Cheshire and by 1758 had established himself as a major silk manufacturer. Also in that year he also diversified his business interests into profitable copper mining and smelting operations. By the mid-1700s he was firmly established s a leading and influential industrialist in the northwest region.
In 1756 he also began mining copper ore in nearby Alderley Edge this was to last until 1791 there was a slowdown in mining at Alderley between 1770 and 1788 the mines worked were Enginvein and the Hagg opencast (Wood Mine) later from another of his acquired mines in Coniston in the Lake Distric and Ecton Derbyshire Roe built a copper works on Macclesfield Common providentially aided by the readily available shallow coal seams just outside the town, which he needed for melting. He similarly set up other smelting shops near Congleton and at Bosley. But, his mining interests were relatively short-lived, as in 1791 mining had ceased at Alderley Edge and those at Coniston only survived a further two years before he finally abandoned them in 1793 In 1763 Roe had acquired land on Parys Mountain in Anglesey and established the Mona Mine which was to become his most successful and profitable enterprise.
By 1767 Roe & Company had also opened the first of two smelting operations on the banks of the River Mersey in Liverpool, acquired the Avoca Copper Mine in Ireland and a colliery at Wrexham.
On his death, his company's vast commercial interests passed on to Edward Hawkins, a merchant of Congleton, Abraham Mills of Macclesfield and his eldest son, William Roe.
Charles Roe died in 17781 and a memorial tablet to his achievements can be found in Christ Church in Macclesfield, (which he had virtually had built at his own expense) and his name is remembered locally in a street name and office chambers in the township.