Charles Spear
Charles Spear (1803–1863) was a Universalist minister who fought to end the death penalty and to reform prisons. He founded Prisoner's Friend, a newspaper dedicated to abolishing capital punishment and improving the treatment of prisoners.
Born in Boston, Spear was a member of the Universalist Church of America and the younger brother of John Murray Spear. He trained for the ministry in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Later, he spoke out against the death penalty, harsh prison life, and bad jail conditions, urging a shift from revenge to rehabilitation.
His work helped bring prison reforms, and the death penalty was abolished in three states and used less often in others. He and his wife often visited Centre School in Dedham. Spear died on April 13, 1863, with funeral services held in Washington, D.C.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:15 (CET).