City of London members' slave trade links revealed

9 hours ago

Ben LynchLocal Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS)

Corporation research revealed that some of its members were involved in the trafficking of African slaves

Getty Images Oil painting that shows African slaves being transported by white Englishmen. In the background there are palm trees and mountains in the distance. The ocean and ships can be visibly seen in the left corner. — Corporation research revealed that some of its members were involved in the trafficking of African slaves

A "leaked" report has revealed that members of the governing body of London's Square Mile were "instrumental" in England's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.

The report, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, identified 280 City of London Corporation members as traffickers between 1640 and 1807.

This included 41 lord mayors – 23% – and 129 aldermen during this period, with members connected to "violently transporting at least a quarter of a million enslaved African men, women and children to the plantations" across the Atlantic.

A City of London Corporation spokesperson said: "It is disappointing the report has been leaked and we will be publishing it later this year."

The report also stated that roughly 37,000 of those enslaved died during the crossings.

The Register of British Slave Traders report was commissioned by the City of London Corporation in December 2024 to explore its historical associations with the slave trade.

The authority itself had no direct link to the slave trade, but some of its members did.

"To better understand this part of our history, we commissioned Professor William Pettigrew in 2024 to use the London Archives and the Register of British Slave Traders to research any historic links of the City Corporation and past elected members to the slave trade.

"Addressing this history openly and honestly is important as we build a City where everyone feels welcome and included," the spokesperson added.

It is understood further details may be added by the author of the report, Professor Pettigrew, ahead of its official publication.

The Bank of England and the Church of England have already produced work exploring their historical links to slavery

LDRS Image of Guildhall, which is home to the City of London Corporation. There are people walking around the area, which is surrounded by tall, old-fashioned, cathedral-like buildings. The concrete floor is covered in patterns. — The Bank of England and the Church of England have already produced work exploring their historical links to slavery

The report highlights the extent of members' connections to the trade and those who profited from it.

The Royal African Company was an English corporation that conducted overseas trade with West Africa and was notoriously known for human trafficking.

Among the most eye-catching figures are that of the 203 original subscribers to the Royal African Company, 72 (35%) were City of London Corporation members, with 69 members also independent traffickers.

The report also found 5% of common councillors were found to be traffickers, meaning they invested directly in a crossing violently transporting slaves across the Atlantic.

Pettigrew wrote that corporation members formed "a persistent, significant minority" among the Royal African Company's board of directors.

"This overlap helped the African Company become the largest participant in the transatlantic traffic in enslaved African people of any nation across the 15th to 19th Centuries and helped the City of London Corporation to advance the economic interests of the City of London.

"Both organisations made these perceived advances at the expense of tens of thousands of African lives," he added.

No schools supported by the authority were found to have direct financial connections with the slave trade other than The Aldgate School, which was founded by Sir John Cass.

The Portal Trust, which runs the school, published its own research outlining its history in February 2021.

Pettigrew is scheduled to publish a national database this autumn, and a BBC documentary and Guardian series are also being planned.

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