Introduction
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Introduction Liverpool street names have Liverpool Project and it is through to the palatial splendour of the become a contentious issue in this project that this information private houses and mansions of the recent years due to the fact that sheet is being produced. most prominent slaving dynasties, many commemorate individuals international trade shaped Liverpool who prospered from the slave Our aim is to provide factual for centuries. One important trade. We may not wish to honour information about the individuals aspect of this trade was the these people today, but should we and families which were involved transatlantic slave trade. Even forget their role in the history of in both slaving and abolition in after abolition in 1807, goods our city? The Transatlantic Slave Liverpool – and how it was that they which were grown and produced on Trade was the biggest enforced came to have places and streets plantations using slaves were movement of people that the world named after them. Contrary to being transported through has ever known. The significance what many people now believe, the port of Liverpool. of Liverpool’s role in that trade is streets were not named after one of the reasons why Liverpool, people because they were slavers. Research was Maritime Mercantile City was They were honoured in this way specially inscribed by UNESCO as a World because they were landowners, commissioned by Heritage Site. During 2007, the decision makers, politicians, patrons English Heritage bicentenary of the abolition of the of the arts and powerful business for this brochure slave trade in Britain and the 800th people. Some of these people were and has drawn on a birthday of the City of Liverpool, this prominent slave traders as we will variety of materials, booklet takes a closer look at the see, and others fought the ideas ranging from primary facts behind the naming of places and beliefs prominent at the time to sources at the Liverpool and streets in Liverpool. crush the trade through the abolition Records Office archives, movement. The pamphlet does not private libraries of historical In October 2006, English Heritage intend to be a potted history of documents and books already stated that it would research links Liverpool’s role in the slave trade. known in this field of history. A to the Transatlantic Slave Trade The purpose is to highlight the role bibliography is available at the end and abolition amongst the families that selected individuals played of this information sheet, including associated with sites in its care in the development of the built website addresses and organisations built during the period of the heritage of the city from wealth which may be able to help with trade – a total of approximately accrued through plantation slavery research. 30 buildings throughout England. and the slave trade. It is thought that this work will Here, in alphabetical order, are 12 take about 2 years to complete. In From the sophisticated system of of the best known people from the Liverpool English Heritage does warehousing developed to store time of the height of the transatlantic not own any buildings – but it does cotton, tobacco and other goods slave trade, who have had streets have a special partnership project imported from the West Indies, and places named after them in called the Historic Environment of North America and elsewhere, Liverpool; Detail from ‘The Hunted Slaves’ by Richard Ansdell: International Slavery Museum, National By the 1780’s the Blackburnes had and was one of Liverpool’s most Ashton Street Blackburne Place acquired large tracts of land in and prominent merchants during the John Ashton (1711-1759) John Blackburne, (1693-1786) around Liverpool and John’s son, first half of the eighteenth century. also named John, used some of this He used his influence to get other John Ashton was a salt merchant Originally from Orford near land to build Blackburne House, local merchants to contribute to the who also invested in the slave trade. Warrington, John Blackburne was a completed in 1790. Following in his building and upkeep of a new home He used his profits from salt and slave trader who is named on the father’s footsteps, John junior served for the Blue Coat in 1718. Although slavery to subsidise the construction list of merchants as mayor of Liverpool in 1788 and the administration of the school of the Sankey Canal, owning 51 out trading with Africa was to become a founder member became one of his chief interests of the 120 shares. His son, Nicholas, in 1752. John of the Athenaeum Club, along with he remained a ship owner into his used the family fortune to purchase Blackburne senior many of Liverpool’s slave traders and seventies and had the slave ship the coalmines in Parr, St Helens; he served as mayor abolitionists. The Blackburnes are Sea Flower built between 1745-48. also acquired Woolton Hall in 1772, of Liverpool in also remembered in Great Orford His sons Jonathan and Richard were inviting Robert Adam to redesign the 1760 and was an Street, named after their estate near both involved in the slave trade, interior, maybe his only completed active member of Warrington where they had a famous as were his grandsons, Bryan and commission in Lancashire. The the town’s elite. hothouse, thought to be the first Henry. The Blundells also invested Ashton family is also commemorated Blackburne made a in the country to grow pineapples, significantly in the coalmines around with other streets that bear their fortune in Liverpool coffee, tea and sugarcane. St Helens. The Blue Coat Hospital name; Ashton Square in Woolton and used some Blackburne Street in Garston is is the oldest building in Liverpool and Ashton Drive in Hunts Cross. The of his wealth to also named after the family as the city centre and is one of the very Ashtons were not alone in using the refurbish the family Blackburnes moved their salt works few buildings in the city built in the proceeds of slavery to invest in the seat, Orford Hall; he there in 1798. John Blackburne Sr Queen Anne style. The Blue Coat industrial development of Britain. also purchased the was the father of noted American School still exists but moved from Richard Pennant, MP for Liverpool- manor of Warrington ornithologist, Ashton Blackburne. the old building in 1906 to new whom Penrhyn Street is named after- in 1764. In addition to accommodation in Wavertree. It is used the revenue from his Jamaican slave trading he was one of Liverpool’s most prestigious sugar plantations to invest in road a salt merchant who schools and many Liverpool notables and dock building and the slate owned the salt works Blundell Street have been educated there, including industry in Wales. Richard Pennant’s adjacent to Liverpool’s the artist Richard Ansdell RA, who nephew, who inherited the family second wet dock, which opened in Bryan Blundell (1675-1756) painted “The Hunted Slaves”, which estates on the demise of the first 1753. Originally it was named the Bryan Blundell was a tobacco can be seen at the new International Lord Penrhyn, built Penrhyn Castle, South Dock, but due to the proximity merchant, sea captain and slave ship Slavery Museum. The Blue Coat now owned by the National Trust. of Blackburne’s salt works it quickly owner. No less than three members will be celebrating its tercentenary became known as the Salthouse of the Blundell family are listed as during Liverpool’s year as European Dock. Blackburne was also an “Merchants Trading to Africa” in Capital of Culture. The Blue Coat investor in canal building; many 1752. After leaving the sea in 1713 hospital building has been in use Liverpool slave traders diversified he had acquired the sum of £7,500 for many years as The Blue Coat their economic interests to pounds and bequeathed 10% of his Arts Centre, a leading centre for the take advantage of industries annual income until his death for the contemporary arts. springing up around southern upkeep of the Blue Coat Hospital, a Lancashire. These included charity school he had helped found salt manufacture, banking, in 1708. Blundell served twice as shipbuilding, rope-making mayor of Liverpool in 1721 and 1728, and coal mining. Advert for the sale of a ‘negrp boy’ at a coffee shop in Liverpool. the slave trade. Joseph Daltera father of the future Prime Minister. and Bridget. Altogether these four Bold Street advertised for sale in the Williamson’s Gladstone was the owner of more vessels held 1,120 slaves and were Jonas Bold (1745-?) Advertiser on June 17 1757: “To than 2000 slaves on his plantations very profitable for the Cunliffes, be sold 10 pipes of raisin wine, in Jamaica and Demerara. In 1831 allowing them to purchase slave Bold Street was once known as the a parcel of bottled cyder, and a Cropper joined forces with his produce such as tobacco, sugar and “Bond Street of the North”. It is Negro boy….” Many of Liverpool’s son-in-law, Joseph Sturge, to form rum for sale on return to England. named after Jonas Bold, who leased merchants during the 18th century the Young England Abolitionists, When Foster Cunliffe was invited to the land from Liverpool Corporation were slave traders and/or purveyors distinguished from other anti-slavery stand for Parliament, he declined, around 1785-6. He also owned a of slave produced goods such as groups by its outspokenness and but nominated his son, Ellis, instead. plot at the top of the street, which is sugar, coffee, tobacco or cotton. vigorous campaigning. Ellis won unopposed and stood as now the site of St Luke’s Church.