Liverpool Election
Thomas Leyland (1752-1827), merchant and slave trader. Born in Yorkshire , Leyland moved to Liverpool before 1770 where he became a successful merchant. He subsequently won £20,000 on the lottery and married his boss's daughter. With his winnings he invested heavily in slave trading. By 1802 his business had become so successful that he became a partner in the bank of Clarke and Roscoe, but after William Roscoe won the Liverpool Parliamentary election in 1806, Leyland left the partnership. It is uncertain why he did this but it is largely assumed to be a result of Roscoe's entering Parliament. William Roscoe was a strong supporter of the anti-slavery movement; indeed by 1807, slave trading in British ships was illegal. Between 1782 and 1807 he was responsible for transporting nearly 3,500 Africans to Jamaica alone.
Leyland amassed a huge fortune in slave trading. The profit on one round trip made by his ship "Lottery" in 1798 was £12,091 and another of his ships "Enterprise" made a profit in excess of £24,000 after delivering 412 slaves to Havana.
In 1807, the year of the abolition, Leyland established his own bank, in partnership with his nephew and fellow slave trader, Richard Bullin.The 1816 election in which he was unsuccessful he stood against George Canning. He died in 1827.
If you require further information on this item you can contact us in a number of ways. Click here to see our contact information.
Id:1157 Q:0