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| Trade card of Charles Pye. British Museum. |
Charles Pye (c. 1749-c. 1830) originally worked as a watch maker. He worked as a wine merchant in the early 1780s, and then restyled himself as an engraver.* Pye had married Ann Radclyffe in 1774 and several Radclyffe's were engravers in Birmingham so he may have found assistance from his in-laws.** Between 1785 and 1797 he published six trade directories, the illustrations of which he engraved himself, and produced a plan of Birmingham in 1792, again with alterations in 1795. He also wrote A Description of Modern Birmingham in 1819 which was a printed tour of the town.
Pye had two son, Charles and John, both engravers, John the more prominent.
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| Charles Pye trade card, c. 1794. British Museum. |
Notes
*The Birmingham Directory (Birmingham: Pearson & Rollason, 1777): Charles Pye, watch-maker, 33, High Street; The Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Bilston & Willenhall Directory (Birmingham: Pearson & Rollason, 1780): Charles Pye, wine merchant, 33, High Street; Pye's Birmingham Directory (Birmingham: Charles Pye, 1797): Charles Pye, engraver, Lombard Street.
**Charles Pye ~ and Ann Radclyffe ~ married on 14 August 1774 at St. Martin, Birmingham, by licence. The witnesses were John Radclyffe ~ and Mary Paine ~.