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Jipe muda wa 'kutwalii' kidogo kabla ya kukurupuka !:cool2:
shilanona
The Royal African Company
In the early part of the 17th century, British merchants and Parliament had frowned on the idea of slavery being acceptable in any part of their empire.
However, as trade with the Caribbean colonies began to grow it became obvious that there was a shortage of labour, which would need to be rectified to ensure profits could be maintained. In 1662 Parliament granted a charter to a newly formed company -
The Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa - which allowed and encouraged them to involve themselves in the slave trade. To the great dissatisfaction of merchants from other cities, however, the charter provided exclusive rights to the Company, which effectively meant the merchants of London.
For various reasons, the Company was not successful, so in 1672 a new company was formed - The Royal African Company.- Once again, they were comprised merchants from London and were granted exclusive rights.
The slave trade now began in earnest, with many powerful merchants such as Edward Colston engaging wholeheartedly in shipping slaves from Africa. They had forts built on the West African coast to protect their trade and to provide holding pens for slaves. Any other slave traders, or interlopers, had to pay a tax of 10% to the Royal African Company. Between 1680 and 1686 an average of 5000 slaves a year were transported to the Caribbean.
However, after much opposition from groups of merchants like
Bristol's Society of Merchant Venturers, Parliament repealed the monopoly on slavery in 1698. The Royal African company tried hard to win back their exclusive rights to the slave trade, but were unable to do so. By 1750, the Company was wound up when it became a full partner in a new company of merchants trading with Africa.
Edward Colston
In present day Bristol, Edward Colston is a name that cannot be ignored. There is Colston Street, The Colston Hall, Colstons' Schools and even a Colston Bun.
But who was he?
Edward Colston was the son of a wealthy merchant born in Bristol in 1636. He made his money initially by trading with Spain and other Mediterranean countries. However, although he went to great lengths to keep it a secret, Colston became a member of the Royal African Company in 1680 and took a very active part in the planning and financing of slaving ventures to Africa, his name appearing in the company records for 11 years.
Although closely involved with the slave trade, Colston was a popular benefactor to the City of Bristol, providing money for various charities throughout his life despite the fact that he lived in London from the time he was 18 until his death.
Here is a record kept by a Bristol Slave Merchant:
An estimate for a cargo to purchase 250 Negroes at Bonny
80 rolls of blue chintz cloth
100 rolls of cotton cloth with fine small stripes (small)
100 rolls of cotton cloth with fine small stripes (large)
100 cotton rolls with red and blue mixed stripes
30 cloths blue and white checked
300 muskets bright barrels
300 muskets black barrels
40 pair common large pistols
2 tons lead in small bars
14 tons iron 1000 copper rods
80 cases bottles of brandy
5 cases pipe beads
Bristol and Slavery - The Royal African Company -
http://www.flocs.com/websites/bristolslavery/people/royalafricancompany.htm
The Pinney Family:
Bristol Merchants and Plantation Owners
Azariah Pinney (1661-1720)
He was banished from England in 1685 because he was involved in a rebellion. He left England with £15 and sailed to the Island of Nevis in the West Indies. He was a clever businessman and he managed to make money and buy land. Using slaves he turned this land into a sugar plantation. When he die he left his sons £23,000.
John Pinney I (1686-1720)
Though he died young he added to the family fortunes. He married a rich young girl who owned a plantation next to his father's. In those days anything owned by a woman immediately belonged to her husband when they married.
John Frederick Pinney (1718-1762)
He only visited Nevis twice. He left managers in charge and lived the life of a country gentleman in England. He lived well, on the money made for him by his slaves working on his plantation. When he died he left £16,000.
John Pinney II (1740-1818)
He was a cousin of John Frederick who had never married. He went to Nevis in 1764. He expressed concerns about the "rights and wrongs" of owning slaves but recognising the money he could make, convinced himself that owning slaves was acceptable.
In a letter dated 1765 he wrote:
"Since my arrival I've purchased 9 Negro slaves in St Kitts and can assure you I was shocked at the first appearance of human flesh for sale. But surely God ordained 'em for the use and benefit of us otherwise his Divine Will would have been made manifest to us by some particular sign or token "
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For twenty years he stayed in the West Indies making his plantations as profitable as possible. He left Nevis in 1783 and came home to Bristol worth about £70,000.
In Bristol, he set up in business as a sugar merchant. He made even more money than he had as a plantation owner. He owned grand houses in the country and had a smart new town house built - 'The Georgian House' - now owned by Bristol Museum.
When he died he left £340,000.