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Was Charles Burton the inventor of the Pram / Baby Carriage/ Perambulator?

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peterbar | 13:23 Fri 04th Mar 2005 | How it Works
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I am trying to find out ANYTHING about a Charles Burton who apparently developed and mass produced the perambulator (the pram/pushchair)  in Victorian England after it failed to take off in America around 1849.I keep finding the same 2 lines on the web-anyone know anything ELSE about him?!

Thanks everyone!

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You don't say which two lines you keep finding.

Does this help?

http://www.newsday.com/other/special/ny-ihny0611story.ht mlstory

Difficult to answer, not knowing which references you have already found.

I found this which seems to contradict the part about it failing to take off in America:

The perambulator was the invention of Charles Burton in America in 1848. He was struck by the fact that: "Carrying a heavy child in the arms...is not only a wearisome occupation, but often one which...is the cause of serious injuries.." His invention became wildly popular in Great Britain and the United States.


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I've looked at the two sites posted above, i think those are ones i'd seen already, basically the same details keep being repeated. I wanted to find out anything about what happened to the man himself, i've tried libraries etc but no joy yet!

thanks for the help though.

Family lore has it that my great-great-great-grandfather Charles Burton "invented" the perambulator which was granted a patent in 1853. He is supposed to have "lived in a mansion in Folkstone", Kent, England
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berry_e, i'm actually trying to find out about Charles Burton for the same reason, we have a family story about him and I've got Burton ancestors that were 'master perambulator manufacturers' but i cant find a enough about Charles to make the link. I do have copies of his 1853 patents though.
I have found out a little more while researching my family tree. A Charles Burton, born in London in 1805, married Ellen ? and obviously moved to the USA as two sons were born there; one in NY in 1849, and one in Boston in 1850. In 1851 he was back in London according to the census. My ggggrandmother was born in 1827, so if this is my Charles, which seems likely, as the perambulator has US and UK roots his first wife probably died in 1845/6ish and he married a younger wife second time round (plus ca change!) and produced the sons with her. Can anyone add anything to this?

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