The Charitable Corporation was an institution in Britain intended to provide loans at low interest to the deserving poor, including through large-scale pawnbroking.

Its full title was "Charitable Corporation for the relief of the industrious poor by assisting them with small sums upon pledges at legal interest".

The original object was that small tradesmen might obtain loans by depositing a pledge in the corporation's warehouse, so that they might not have to sell goods at an undervalue when suffering cash flow difficulties.

The original warehouse was at Duke Street, Westminster,[4] but was in the company's early years replaced by one at Spring Garden near Charing Cross, London.

They proceeded to appoint officers, including John Thomson as warehouse keeper and Mr Clarke as surveyor in November 1725.

Assistants were also appointed from 1726, including William Squire, George Jackson and John Torriano (disqualified from office in 1729).

Previously, two officers had been needed to conduct any business, but the effect was to give Thomson unrestricted access to the warehouse.

[12] A little while after Thomson became warehouse keeper, several of those involved in the management of the Corporation started speculating in shares on a very large scale.

In October 1727, they began to buy the corporation's shares, this all being handled by Robinson who was a stockbroker in Exchange Alley.

They then heard of lead mines in Scotland belonging to Sir Robert Sutton and others, whose sale they proposed to the York Buildings Company.

While Grant was in Scotland, they needed to buy more shares at a time of difficulty in February 1728, due to the petition of the City of London.

When William Tench suggested to Thomson that the money was misapplied, he threatened exposure, until Robinson paid him an additional salary.

[16] In the end, the Common Council of the City of London petitioned the Parliament of Great Britain in March 1731, for relief against the "unreasonable and exorbitant rates" charged and the low prices achieved on sale of unredeemed goods.

This was supported by a petition from merchants and other traders in London and by the silk weavers and worsted manufacturers of Spitalfields.

They alleged that pledges were often sold at 20 percent below the production cost; this discouraged industry and encouraged fraudulent bankrupts.

The committee reported:[20] The Charitable Corporation have lent money in large sums which under colour and pretence of reasonable costs and charges they have exacted after the rate of [5 percent] over and above lawful interest, and therefore ought to be regulated.A bill was introduced accordingly, but had only been passed by the Commons, when the king prorogued Parliament.

In March, an Act was passed to "encourage and compel George Robinson and John Thomson (sic) to appear ... and disclose the effects" of the Charitable Corporation.

2. c. 32) required Sutton, Grant, Bond, Burroughs, Wooley and Warren to deliver particulars of their estates to the Barons of the Exchequer.

2. c. 2) was passed extending time and requiring him to appear before Parliament (or a committee of it) by 30 March 1732 and before his bankruptcy commissioners by 4 April.

2. c. 35) authorised a lottery for the relief of those who suffered from the frauds, specifically excluding Robinson, Thomson, Wolley and Warren from benefitting.

Bankruptcy proceedings against George Robinson and John Thomson continued for a long time, evidently due to litigation.

Following the decree, the company sought to obtain an act to assist with the enquiries directed by the Court of Chancery on 18 August 1742, but this was rejected.