The English Lake District has long been associated with natural beauty, outdoor recreation, and literary inspiration. However, recent research has uncovered a darker history that links this idyllic region to the transatlantic slave trade. The Lake District was not directly involved in the slave trade, but it was connected to it through the wealth and influence of some of its prominent residents.
The transatlantic slave trade was a brutal system that forcibly transported millions of Africans to the Americas to work as slaves on plantations. It was a major source of wealth for European countries and their colonies, including Britain. The Lake District was home to many wealthy families who profited from the slave trade, either directly or indirectly. Some of these families invested in the plantations, while others made their fortunes through industries that relied on slave-produced goods like sugar, tobacco, and cotton.
The English Lake District and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Historical Background
The English Lake District, situated in the North West of England, is a popular tourist destination known for its picturesque landscapes and natural beauty. However, the area has a dark history linked to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many wealthy families in the Lake District owned plantations in the Caribbean and made their fortunes through the slave trade.
The Lake District was also home to several prominent figures who were involved in the slave trade, including George Washington’s ancestors who owned plantations in Virginia, and John Bolton, a slave trader from Liverpool who owned Storrs Hall, now a hotel on the shores of Lake Windermere.
Links to the Slave Trade
The Lake District’s links to the slave trade can be seen in the many buildings and landmarks that were funded by the profits of slavery. For example, the Armitt Museum in Ambleside was funded by Mary Louisa Armitt, whose family made their fortune through the slave trade. The museum houses a collection of literature and manuscripts related to the Lake District, including evidence of the area’s involvement in the slave trade.
The Lake District was also a hub for the production of textiles, which were exported to West Africa and traded for enslaved people. Merchants in the Lake District would transport the textiles to Liverpool, where they would be loaded onto ships and traded for enslaved people in West Africa. The enslaved people would then be transported across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and sold at auction to plantation owners.
Despite the area’s involvement in the slave trade, there were also instances of resistance and abolitionist campaigns in the Lake District. For example, William Wordsworth, a prominent Lake District poet, was a vocal opponent of the slave trade and campaigned for its abolition.
In 1807, the British government passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, which made it illegal to trade enslaved people in British colonies. However, slavery itself was not abolished until 1833.
Overall, the English Lake District’s links to the Transatlantic Slave Trade highlight the complex and often uncomfortable history of Britain’s involvement in the slave trade. Through examining the records and evidence of the area’s involvement, we can gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the slave trade on British culture, politics, and society.
Historical Background
The English Lake District, a mountainous area in North West England, has a rich history that is linked to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The slave trade was a triangular route that transported enslaved Africans from West Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean. The English Lake District was not directly involved in the slave trade, but it was connected to it through the merchants and shipbuilders who were based in the port cities of Liverpool and Bristol.
Britain as a Main Player
The British were one of the main slave traders in Europe, and they were responsible for transporting millions of Africans to the Americas and the Caribbean. The slave trade was a lucrative business that involved the forced transportation of enslaved people across the Atlantic Ocean. The enslaved people were treated as property and were subjected to abuse and violence on the ships that transported them.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade was abolished in the 19th century, but it had a lasting impact on the culture and economy of the Americas and Africa. The abolition of the slave trade was a result of political, social, and economic pressure from abolitionist movements and campaigns. The British government passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807, which prohibited the importation of enslaved people into the British colonies.
The trade was dominated by Britain, particularly during the 18th century. Between 1710 and 1810, 1.75 million slaves were imported into British possessions in the Americas. Ships operated out of British ports, principally Liverpool, London and Bristol, but Lancaster and Whitehaven were also involved.
Ships departed from British ports for Africa taking manufactured goods which were then exchanged for slaves. Slaves were bought from African traders and European entrepreneurs working in West Africa.
During the terrible voyage of the ‘Middle Passage’ across the Atlantic, on average, one in eight of the slaves being transported died.
After the ‘Middle Passage’the slaves were sold to plantation owners in the West Indies and North America and the ships returned to Britain with tobacco, cotton, indigo, sugar and other goods.
Cheap labour was central to the economic prosperity of the plantations. The British government encouraged the slave trade through the provision of royal charters to trading companies and also through giving the Royal Navy instructions to police the trade. The government and its agencies were involved in the regulation and control of the trade in Africa, on the sea and in the plantations.
As the number of slaves outnumbered the settlers, complex rules and legal codes came into play to ensure control of the slave population by the governments and settlers in the Caribbean and the Americas.
The Lake District Connection
The English Lake District was not directly involved in the slave trade, but it was connected to it through the merchants and shipbuilders who were based in the port cities of Liverpool and Bristol. These merchants and shipbuilders were involved in the production of goods such as tobacco, sugar, and coffee, which were produced by enslaved people in the Americas and the Caribbean. The English Lake District and neighbouring settlements were also connected to the slave trade through the textiles and raw materials that were imported from India and West Africa.
Records show that some of the enslaved people who were transported across the Atlantic Ocean were sold at auctions in London and Bristol. The enslaved people were often chained and subjected to abuse and violence during the auctions. Some of the enslaved people who were transported across the Atlantic Ocean were taken to the American colonies, such as Virginia and Barbados, and to the Caribbean islands, such as Jamaica and the French colonies.
Between 1710 and 1810, 1.75 million slaves were imported into British possessions in the Americas. Ships operated out of British ports, principally Liverpool, London and Bristol, but nearby Lancaster and Whitehaven were also involved.
There were also instances of resistance and revolt by enslaved people on the ships that transported them across the Atlantic Ocean. The enslaved people would try to escape or rebel against their captors, but they were often unsuccessful. The resistance and revolt by enslaved people were evidence of their determination to resist the slave trade and to fight for their freedom.
Institutions such as the Royal African Company, which was established in 1672, were involved in the transportation of enslaved people from West Africa to the Americas. The company was responsible for transporting more than 100,000 enslaved people to the Americas and the Caribbean. The company was dissolved in 1752, but the slave trade continued until the 19th century.
The English Lake District has a complex and interconnected history with the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The links between the two are evidence of the global impact of the slave trade on the culture, economy, and politics of Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
The Triangular Trading System involving The Lake District
Slave trading was a risky venture – everything needed to be in place for the three legs of the voyage,with maximum cargoes on each leg.
The Triangular Trade consisted of:
- A voyage from Whitehaven to West Africa with a cargo of manufactured goods made in Britain which were exchanged for slaves;
- The ‘Middle Passage’ from West Africa to the West Indies or the southern states of North America with a cargo of slaves;
- A voyage from the West Indies back to Whitehaven with a cargo of tobacco, sugar and rum.
The whole voyage, which often lasted over one year, was largely dependent upon the sailing and negotiating skills ofthe Sailing Master. Between 1750-1769 seven Sailing Masters were responsible for commanding 60% ofthe voyages. When everything worked it was highly profitable, but often it did not work out.
As a port for the transatlantic slave trade, Whitehaven suffered from:
- Its distance from the places of manufacture of many ofthe goods destined for sale in West Africa;
- The lack of sugar refining opportunities in Whitehaven, a vital trading commodity on the Americas-Whitehaven leg;
- The small number of returning ships which made it difficult for Whitehaven traders and sailors to keep up to date with developments in Africa and the Americas.
Because Whitehaven traders had such difficulty acquiring cargoes for the first and third legs, it was even more important to make a profit on the Middle Passage.
Whitehaven’s prosperity between 1688 and c1750 was based on importing tobacco for re-export (1,639,193lbs in 1712; in 1721 there were 24 vessels listed as sailing to Virginia for tobacco) and exporting textiles, shoes, clothing, horse equipment and iron goods to Virginia and the West Indies, and coal more locally.
The Lowther Family
Lowther Castle near Penrith is still part of an impressive estate (owned by The Lowther Castle & Gardens Trust).
Sir John Lowther was Lord of the Manor of St.Bees, 2nd Baronet of Whitehaven and former MP of Cumberland, and he held sole rights to all coal found within the area. Through investing substantial inheritance he expanded the docklands, introduced shipping of coal to Ireland and alongside his son James began the expansion of what was a small village into a trading port & town. In 1633 Whitehaven had consisted only of nine thatched cottages, by 1693 there were 2,222 inhabitants, and by 1762 this had increased to 9,062.
Robert Lowther twice served as Governor of Barbados, and acquired Christchurch Plantation in Barbados through his first marriage. He was described as ‘The Tyrant of Barbados’.* He had a reputation for arrogance and corruption; if the island’s council board members opposed him, he suspended them, and even threatened to prosecute them for treason. His wife was 18 years his senior and it was widely circulated that he married her for her fortunes. She died before he left Barbados, and the Plantation was to remain in the Lowther name until the 1840’s.
On Robert’s return to Britain he was ordered to be held in custody awaiting a trial for high crimes over his tyranny in Barbados, but in a stroke of luck for him, the King died before this could be actioned!
He remarried, this time to his cousin Catherine Pennington (Penningtons of Muncaster Castle, another prominent Cumbrian family still here today) and their son James would go on to inherit both the plantation in Barbados from his father and the land in Whitehaven from his cousin, James Lowther, son of Sir John Lowther.
The slave trade should probably be seen as an attempt at economic diversification by merchants with connections in America, at times when the coal and tobacco trades declined. The slave trade seems to have functioned prior to 1720 and again after 1750. During the 1730s and 1740s, Whitehaven’s tobacco trade was very successful – second only to London – but during the 1750s, Glasgow dominated the trade.
The Whitehaven slave trade lasted from 1710-1769 during which 69 slave voyages were fitted out (between 1-2% of total voyages made by British slave ships). In comparison 1250 ships departed from Liverpool, 500 ships from London and 470 ships from Bristol between 1750 – 1769. 86 ships departed from Lancaster between 1757-76.
Traders and Investors from The Lake District
Between 1710-1721 Thomas Lutwidge (Senior) with his nephew Walter Lutwidge, fitted out 5 of the 8 ships involved in the slave trade. He was initially involved in the wine trade and later in the tobacco and sugar trade, so slave trading was an extension of his American interests. His first slave venture, The Swift, failed because the 95 slaves on board were taken by a French privateer. His letter books (1739-49) which are available at Whitehaven Record Office (YDX79) include references to his interests in the trade. In 1749 he was in correspondence with John Hardman of Liverpool about using some of his ships which were lying idle at Liverpool for slaving in Guinea. Thomas Rumball fitted out one of the eight ships and was Master on five of the ships.
Between 1750-1769 investment in the slave trade was shared between Whitehaven traders and old Sailing Masters, meaning that quite a large number of Whitehaven people had a stake in the slave trade. Many ships had multiple owners: for example, in 1763, Venus of Whitehaven had 12 co-owners.
John Bolton (1756-1837), son of an Ulverston apothecary. Apprenticed to a Liverpool firm; arrived St Vincent 1773, and St Lucia 1778. He had a West Indian family whom he abandoned in 1780s when he returned to England. When back in England, he married Elizabeth Littledale, daughter of Henry Littledale of Whitehaven.
In 1788 alone, Bolton’s ships were responsible for the trafficking of almost 2500 slaves.
John Bolton acquired Storrs Hall, Windermere in 1806 and extended the building and the estate to 3000 acres. He had acquired such wealth from his trading business that he employed a butler, 2 footmen, a housekeeper, a cook, a kitchenmaid, 3 housemaids, farm bailiff, 9 gardeners, coachmen, and 2 grooms. He died in 1837 and is buried at St Martin’s parish church, Bowness.
Links to the Slave Trade
Evidence of Links
The English Lake District has a complex and often overlooked history with the Transatlantic Slave Trade. While it may not have been a major player in the trade itself, there is evidence to suggest that the area was connected to the slave trade in various ways. For example, some of the wealth that was generated from the slave trade was invested in the area, and some of the area’s prominent families were involved in the trade.
There are also records that show that some enslaved people were brought to the Lake District and used as servants. In addition, there are reports of enslaved people being sold at auction in the area. The Lake District was also home to some of the merchants who profited from the trade, and it is believed that some of the area’s grand houses were built with money that was generated from the trade.
Impact on the Lake District
The impact of the slave trade on the Lake District was not just economic. There are also reports of enslaved people being abused and mistreated in the area. Some of the area’s prominent families owned enslaved people and there are reports of violence and mistreatment towards them.
The Lake District was also impacted culturally by the slave trade. Some of the area’s prominent families were involved in the trade and it is believed that some of the area’s cultural institutions were built with money that was generated from the trade. In addition, some of the area’s literature and art was influenced by the trade.
Overall, while the Lake District was not a major player in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, there is evidence to suggest that the area was connected to the trade in various ways. The impact of the trade on the area was not just economic, but also cultural and social.
Evidence of Links
The English Lake District has a rich history that is closely linked to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. While there is no concrete evidence that suggests the Lake District was directly involved in the slave trade, there are several indications of indirect links.
One such indication is the wealth of several of the families who owned large estates in the Lake District during the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of these families made their fortunes through trade with the West Indies, which was heavily reliant on slave labor. For example, the Curwen family, who owned the Workington Hall estate, had extensive business interests in Jamaica and owned several plantations that relied on enslaved labor.
Another piece of evidence is the presence of several historic buildings in the Lake District that were built using materials that were likely sourced from the West Indies. For example, the stately home of Dalemain in Cumbria has a number of mahogany doors and window frames that were likely imported from Jamaica. Similarly, the grand staircase in Mirehouse, near Keswick, is made from a rare type of wood that was only found in the West Indies.
Additionally, there are several records that suggest that the Lake District was a popular destination for wealthy slave owners who wanted to escape the heat and humidity of the West Indies. Many of these visitors would have stayed in grand houses and hotels in the area, contributing to the local economy.
Overall, while there is no direct evidence of the Lake District’s involvement in the slave trade, there are several indications of indirect links. The wealth of local families, the use of materials sourced from the West Indies, and the presence of wealthy visitors from the West Indies all suggest that the Lake District was connected to the Transatlantic Slave Trade in some way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the connection between English Lake District and the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
The English Lake District is connected to the Transatlantic Slave Trade through its wealthy families and merchants who invested in the slave trade. These individuals used their wealth to purchase land and build grand houses in the Lake District, leaving behind a legacy that is still visible today.
How were English heritage properties involved in the slave trade between 1600-1830?
Many English heritage properties, including those in the Lake District, were built using the profits made from the slave trade. The owners of these properties invested in the slave trade, using the profits to fund their lavish lifestyles and the construction of their grand homes.
What is the impact of the transatlantic slave trade on Britain’s economy?
The transatlantic slave trade had a significant impact on Britain’s economy, as it was one of the main sources of wealth for the country during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The profits made from the slave trade helped to fund the Industrial Revolution and the growth of the British Empire.
What were the reasons for the British Empire’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade?
The British Empire was involved in the transatlantic slave trade for economic reasons. The profits made from the slave trade helped to fund the growth of the empire and the Industrial Revolution. Additionally, the slave trade was seen as a way to provide cheap labour for the British colonies in the Americas.
What evidence is there of slavery connections at historic English sites?
There is a significant amount of evidence of slavery connections at historic English sites, including the Lake District. Many of the grand houses and estates in the Lake District were built using the profits made from the slave trade, and some of the families who owned these properties were directly involved in the slave trade.
Kath Beattie studied Journalism at The University of Central Lancashire and now writes for several Travel publications. She recently moved to The Lake District and enjoys walking her 3 dogs every day across the fells.
