Charles Pilkington (mountaineer)
Charles Pilkington | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1850-08-18 St Helens, England |
| Died | 1918 |
| Occupation(s) | Engineer, mountaineer |
| Years active | 1870s–1911 |
| Known for | Early guideless Alpine climbing, first ascent of Inaccessible Pinnacle on Skye |
Charles Pilkington (1850–1918) was a British engineer specializing in colliery operations and an early innovator in mountaineering. He was among the pioneers who climbed in the Alps without the assistance of guides, accomplishing multiple first ascents and remarkable climbs done independently. Within the United Kingdom, he is credited with making the inaugural ascent of the Isle of Skye’s Inaccessible Pinnacle on Sgùrr Dearg.
Biography
Born on 18 August 1850 in St Helens, Charles was the son of Richard Pilkington (1795–1869) and Anne Evans (1812–1883). His family had a substantial industrial background; Richard Pilkington, alongside his brother William, established Pilkington Brothers in 1829, which later developed into the publicly traded Pilkington glass enterprise.
Charles’s younger sibling Lawrence (1855–1941) was also recognized for his mountaineering pursuits, while their elder brother Richard Pilkington (1841–1908) served as a Conservative Member of Parliament.
In his career, Charles functioned as a colliery engineer. He wed Mabel Fielden in 1884. Their sons, Edward Fielden (1885–1975) and Hugh Brocklehurst (1886–1915), received their education at Winchester College and Trinity College, Cambridge. Both accompanied Charles on alpine climbs and were instrumental in founding the Cambridge University Mountaineering Club between 1905 and 1906. Tragically, Hugh died during combat at Gallipoli in World War I. Edward went on to become a director at both Pilkington Lancastrian Pottery and Tile Company and Manchester Collieries, earning an OBE in 1957.
Business
Following his schooling, Pilkington commenced employment with Haydock Collieries, a division of his grandfather’s company Richard Evans & Sons. Starting as a fitter within the mechanical workshops, he acquired essential skills that laid the groundwork for his career as a colliery engineer.
During the June 1878 Wood Pit disaster at Haydock, which claimed approximately 200 lives, Charles Pilkington served as an assistant surveyor and was among the initial responders. He contributed to clearing passageways and enhancing ventilation to reach affected areas for recovery operations. Subsequently, he led a work shift for an entire month focused on mine restoration and completing rescue efforts.
In 1888, Charles joined his brothers Edward and Alfred at the Clifton and Kersley Coal Company, established in 1867; later, his younger brother Lawrence assumed the role of colliery manager. As a company director, Charles was noted for his insight into miners’ working conditions and industry challenges. He actively participated in training rescue squads and advancing welfare initiatives for coal workers. In 1903, he held the presidency of the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Owners Association.
In 1889, two pit shafts were sunk near the Pendleton Fault by the company but mining operations ceased due to flooding problems. This incident led to identifying deposits of premium red marl clay. While initially intended for glazed brick production, it was ultimately found more suitable for manufacturing decorative glazed tiles.
By 1891, Charles and Lawrence Pilkington launched the Pilkington Lancastrian Pottery and Tile Company located at Clifton Junction near Manchester. Although ownership remained with the brothers—Lawrence acting as chairman—the day-to-day management was entrusted to William Burton and his brother Joseph. The enterprise achieved recognition by the early twentieth century for its Lancastrian Lustre ware, which was retailed through outlets such as Tiffany’s in New York and garnered a Royal Warrant.
UK climbing
During the 1870s, Pilkington frequently explored and ascended peaks in the Lake District alongside companions such as Lawrence, George Eustace Hulton, and Frederick Gardiner, who later wed Pilkington's cousin, Alice Evans. Together with Gardiner, he often roamed the hills of Cumberland and Westmoreland, particularly during winter months. Both Pilkington and his brother were enthusiastic long-distance walkers, routinely covering distances up to 50 miles across the Lakeland fells within a single day—a forerunner to the Bob Graham Round challenge.
Pilkington was one of the earliest climbers to recognize the Skye as a premier climbing location in Britain, especially its Coolin Hills, which were largely unexplored at that time. His initial visit to Skye occurred in 1872 as a fisherman and hunter, but it was not until 1880 that he began dedicated mountaineering there. That year, he and his brother achieved the first recorded ascent of Pinnacle Ridge on Skye's Sgùrr nan Gillean, now regarded as a '3 star' classic route, and also climbed the challenging Inaccessible Pinnacle.
In 1887, Pilkington returned to the Cuillin accompanied by James Heelis, Horace Walker, and local guide John MacKenzie, during which they completed first ascents of several previously unclimbed summits including Clach Glas, Sgurr na h-Uamha, and two unnamed peaks. They assigned the names Sgùrr Theàrlaich (meaning Charlie's Peak in Gaelic) and Sgùrr MhicChoinnich (Mackenzie's Peak) to these latter two summits—names that are still recognized today.
Pilkington also undertook climbs with Walker in both the Alps and Scotland’s Highlands. Notably, in 1892 they scaled the steep cliffs of Grey Castle (Caisteal Liath), part of Suilven in northwest Scotland.
At the inception of the Fell & Rock Climbing Club in 1907, Pilkington was honored as an Honorary member. He also held the presidency of the Rucksack Club from 1906 through 1908. Additionally, he contributed the chapter "Hill Climbing in the British Isles" to the Mountaineering volume within the Badminton Library series.
Alpinism
Charles Pilkington, along with his brother Lawrence, played a pivotal role among the guideless Alpine climbers of the 1870s, helping to legitimize this style of climbing as a respected endeavor. Charles gained a reputation for adeptly leading his group out of hazardous and challenging situations. His inaugural Swiss summit was the Wetterhorn in 1872, followed by multiple expeditions with Lawrence before forming a climbing partnership with Frederick Gardiner in 1876.
By 1878, Charles, Lawrence, and Gardiner embarked on Alpine climbs without guides, pioneering the belief that skilled amateurs could safely undertake demanding ascents independently. Their maiden trip to the Dauphiné Alps featured both the first guideless ascent of Barre des Écrins and the initial climb of Pointe des Arcas. They continued making guideless ascents throughout 1879 and 1881 across regions including Dauphiné, Bernese Oberland, and Pennine Alps.
Following Gardiner’s departure in 1881, the Pilkington brothers continued achieving significant alpine milestones. In 1882, joined by George Eustace Hulton, they completed first guideless ascents of Piz Kesch, Piz Roseg, and Monte Disgrazia—ascending via a new northeast arete route.
In subsequent years, Charles frequently climbed with Charles Hopkinson; Horace Walker and his daughter Lucy Walker; as well as with his own family from 1890 onwards. His extensive experience spanned mountain ranges from Dauphiné to the Dolomites with numerous documented climbs continuing through 1911.
Pilkington authored "Climbing without Guides" for the Mountaineering volume of the Badminton Library and served as president of the Alpine Club between 1896 and 1898.
Notable climbs
- 1878 - Achieved the inaugural ascent of Pointe des Arcas alongside Frederick Gardiner and Lawrence Pilkington (12 July)
- 1878 - Completed the first ascent without guides of the Barre des Écrins with Frederick Gardiner and Lawrence Pilkington (19 July)
- 1879 - Executed the pioneering guideless climb of La Meije with Frederick Gardiner and Lawrence Pilkington (25 July)
- 1881 - Carried out the initial guideless ascent of the Jungfrau together with Frederick Gardiner and Lawrence Pilkington (30 July)
- 1881 - Made the first ascent without guides of the Finsteraarhorn with Frederick Gardiner and Lawrence Pilkington
- 1882 - Accomplished the first guideless climb of Piz Kesch in the company of Lawrence Pilkington and Eustace Hulton
- 1882 - Completed the inaugural guideless ascent of Piz Roseg alongside Lawrence Pilkington and Eustace Hulton (7 August)
- 1882 - Made the first guideless ascent of Monte Disgrazia via a new northeast arête route with Lawrence Pilkington and Eustace Hulton (12 August)