City of London Corporation members linked to slave trade in leaked report
280 members identified as traffickers between 1640 and 1807, including 41 lord mayors
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A leaked report has revealed that 280 members of the City of London Corporation were involved in the transatlantic slave trade between 1640 and 1807. The findings, obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, include 41 lord mayors and 129 aldermen. The report states that these members were connected to crossings that resulted in the deaths of roughly 37,000 enslaved Africans.
Corporation response and report details
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The City of London Corporation commissioned the research in December 2024 to investigate its historical associations with the slave trade. Professor William Pettigrew, who led the study, used the London Archives and the Register of British Slave Traders to compile the findings. A spokesperson for the Corporation said the leak was disappointing but confirmed the report would be published later this year.
The spokesperson added, "Addressing this history openly and honestly is important as we build a City where everyone feels welcome and included." The Corporation itself had no direct involvement in the slave trade, but the report highlights the actions of individual members during the period.
Royal African Company connections
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The report identifies significant overlap between the City of London Corporation and the Royal African Company, an English corporation known for human trafficking. Of the 203 original subscribers to the Royal African Company, 72 (35%) were Corporation members. Additionally, 69 members acted as independent traffickers.
Professor Pettigrew wrote that Corporation members formed "a persistent, significant minority" on the Royal African Company’s board of directors. He stated, "This overlap helped the African Company become the largest participant in the transatlantic traffic in enslaved African people of any nation across the 15th to 19th Centuries."
Both organisations made these perceived advances at the expense of tens of thousands of African lives.
Professor William Pettigrew, report author
Next steps and public disclosure
The report is expected to be published in full later this year, with potential additions from Professor Pettigrew. A national database of slave traders is also scheduled for release this autumn. The Corporation has not yet outlined specific actions it will take in response to the findings.
The Portal Trust, which runs The Aldgate School, previously published research in 2021 on its founder’s links to the slave trade. The school was established by Sir John Cass, whose legacy has been the subject of ongoing scrutiny.
Questions this report answers
+How many City of London Corporation members were linked to the slave trade?
The leaked report identified 280 members as traffickers between 1640 and 1807. This includes 41 lord mayors and 129 aldermen, who were connected to the transatlantic slave trade during that period.
+What was the role of the Royal African Company in the slave trade?
The Royal African Company was an English corporation that conducted human trafficking. The report found 72 of its 203 original subscribers (35%) were City of London Corporation members, who also formed a significant minority on its board.
+When will the full report be published?
The City of London Corporation stated it will publish the full report later this year. Professor William Pettigrew, who authored the report, may add further details before its official release.
+How many enslaved people died during the crossings?
The report states that roughly 37,000 enslaved Africans died during the crossings linked to City of London Corporation members between 1640 and 1807.
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