Liverpool and Bristol’s leading roles in British slave trade

By the Editorial Team · Monday, September 14, 2026

Historians at University College London have created an extensive archive revealing how Liverpool and Bristol played central roles in the British transatlantic slave trade and profited from government compensation after abolition. The findings highlight the trade’s deep integration into British economic, political, and social structures, challenging prior narratives and coinciding with a forthcoming documentary exposing Britain’s involvement.

A newly compiled archive by historians at University College London has shed light on the prominent roles played by Liverpool and Bristol in the British transatlantic slave trade. The research focuses on individuals who were compensated by the British government after the abolition of slavery in 1833, when owners of enslaved people were paid £20 million—equivalent to approximately £2.7 billion today—while no reparations were made to the enslaved.

The archive highlights how the slave trade expanded from London elites to merchants and tradespeople in other British port cities. Bristol, in particular, became a key center, with figures such as Richard Farr, a ropemaker responsible for outfitting more than 38 slave ships transporting over 10,000 Africans; William Tyndall, involved extensively in the trade with Jamaica; and James Laroche, who oversaw 105 voyages carrying an estimated 30,000 enslaved individuals during his lifetime. Scholars note that the wealth generated from the slave trade shaped Bristol’s political power structures, its architecture, financial institutions, and cultural landmarks including the Bristol Old Vic theatre.

Liverpool’s ascendancy in the slave trade began around 1750, coinciding with legislation that dissolved the Royal African Company and formally endorsed free trade in enslaved Africans within the British Empire. The legislation explicitly stated the importance of supplying enslaved labor to plantations and required slave traders only to pay a modest fee to maintain former company forts along the African coast. This policy helped entrench the trafficking as official state enterprise.

Many Liverpool slave traders rose from working-class origins to prominent positions in the city’s political and economic elite. The study found that 51 Liverpool mayors were directly involved in the trade, and the city’s corporation frequently opposed abolition efforts in Parliament. Key figures include Arthur Heywood, who commanded 80 voyages transporting over 21,000 people to destinations such as Grenada, Jamaica, and the American colonies; Bryan Blundell, a mariner who became mayor and founder of the Blue Coat school; and William Earle, responsible for 117 slave voyages involving an estimated 36,565 enslaved Africans, establishing one of Britain’s most influential slave-trading families.

The register also reveals the wider industrial connections of the slave trade, including the manufacture and export of goods such as firearms from Birmingham to Africa, which were traded in exchange for enslaved people. The records document the participation of more than 1,000 women as traders, challenging the perception that the trade was exclusively a male enterprise. The historical evidence portrays the slave trade as a public, prestigious, and government-sanctioned imperial venture rather than a hidden or shameful chapter.

In March 2026, a United Nations declaration, led by Ghana’s president John Dramani Mahama, condemned the transatlantic slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity,” a motion supported by a large majority of countries. The United Kingdom abstained, citing concerns over creating a hierarchy of historical atrocities and disputing any obligation for reparations on the grounds that slavery was not illegal under international law at the time. The UK government acknowledged the “abhorrent nature” of the trade but declined to accept formal responsibility, describing it as a painful shared history.

This comprehensive register, documenting thousands involved in the trade—from monarchs to mariners—offers a detailed account of Britain’s role in slavery. The public broadcaster will soon air a two-part documentary, Finding Britain’s Slave Traders, hosted by historian David Olusoga, further exploring the legacy and impact of Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.