Register of British Slave-Traders

The Register of British Slave-Traders
Website type
Online database
Country of origin
United Kingdom
EditorWilliam Pettigrew
Websitebritishslavetraders.org Edit this at Wikidata
CommercialNo
LaunchedSeptember 2026 (2026-09)

The Register of British Slave-Traders is an online database listing 13,000 named individuals who invested in the British slave trade, from the 16th to 19th centuries.

The database, launched publicly in September 2026, is the result of three years' research by a team of nine, from institutions including Lancaster University and Manchester University, led by William Pettigrew of King's College London. It was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Among those documented are shareholders in the Company of Royal Adventurers into Africa, the Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa, the Royal African Company and the South Sea Company.

The database and its notable entries were the basis and subject of a two-part BBC series by David Olusoga, Finding Britain's Slave Traders, broadcast in September 2026.

Pettigrew's book based on the project, Britain's Slave Traders: A Forgotten History, was published in the same month.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Conn, David (14 September 2026). "What is the Register of British Slave Traders and whom does it identify?". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  2. 1 2 "New database of 13,000 British slave traders goes online". Who Do You Think You Are Magazine. 17 September 2026. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Register of British Slave Traders reveals English investors and their influence on the nation". King's College London. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  4. ↑ "Finding Britain's Slave Traders with David Olusoga - Series 1: Episode 1". Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  5. ↑ Pettigrew, William A. (2026). Britain's Slave Traders: A Forgotten History. Bodley Head. ISBN 9781847927903.