British Slave Trade Investors: New Register Exposes 10,500 Names 2026

The British slave trade has been laid bare by a new register documenting over 10,500 investors who profited from the trafficking of enslaved Africans. The Register of British Slave Traders, a three-year project by specialist historians, reveals the extensive involvement of monarchs, MPs, and merchants in this brutal trade from the 1560s to abolition in 1807.

The Register of British Slave Traders: A Comprehensive Account

Led by Prof William Pettigrew of King's College London, the project provides biographical details for as many investors as possible, building the most comprehensive picture yet of those who perpetrated the enslavement of African people. The register documents the investors in Britain's near 250-year transatlantic slave trade, from the first traffickers in the 1560s to abolition in 1807.

Britain's trafficking operations, including royal companies led by kings and later a rush of entrepreneurs in Bristol, Liverpool, and other port cities, violently transported more than 3 million enslaved African men, women, and children to colonial plantations in the Americas and Caribbean.

Key Findings: Monarchy, Parliament, and Business Elites

The register reveals the relentless involvement of the British monarchy, parliament, and financial and business elites. The church played a role in legitimising the trade, and investors' wealth was woven deep into the country's fabric, funding hospitals, schools, welfare organisations, the arts, and science.

Notable Investors and Their Legacies

Among the investors were prominent figures such as King Charles II, who was a shareholder in the Royal African Company, and numerous MPs who voted to protect the trade. The wealth generated funded institutions that still exist today, including schools and hospitals.

Data Table: British Slave Trade Investors by Category

• The register documents over 10,500 investors in the British slave trade.
• The monarchy, parliament, and business elites were deeply involved.
• Investor wealth funded major British institutions.
• The trade transported over 3 million enslaved Africans.

FAQ

The register serves as a stark reminder of the deep entanglement of Britain's elite institutions in the slave trade. By documenting the investors, it provides a foundation for understanding the lasting impact of this brutal chapter in history.

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