What is the Register of British Slave Traders and who does it identify?
Three years of research has uncovered 13,000 people who invested in Britain’s trafficking of enslaved Africans
TL;DR
- The Register of British Slave Traders identifies 13,000 individuals who invested in financing the British slave trade.
- Research spanned three years, covering the period from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
- The register defines slave traders as individuals who financed ships expecting a profit share from trafficking enslaved Africans.
- It includes profiles and biographical details of investors, building on previous research documenting European trafficking.
- Early traders included privateers and ship captains backed by royalty and government officials, with institutional involvement growing from 1660 through companies like the Royal African Company and South Sea Company.
- The research traced investors beyond London to port towns like Bristol and Liverpool.
- Biographical information examined included dates of birth and death, marriages, political participation, and bequests to welfare organizations.
- About 1,000 investors identified were women.
- The project was a joint venture between Lancaster University, the University of Manchester, and University College London, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
- Key researchers included Prof William Pettigrew, Dr Nicholas Radburn, Prof Edmond Smith, and Dr Nicholas Draper.