Historic Letters Unearthed on eBay Reveal UK Families’ Profits from Slavery

Published: 23 September ‘2025. The English Chronicle Online

A remarkable discovery of 19th-century letters on eBay has shed new light on prominent British families who amassed fortunes through slavery, highlighting the often-overlooked connections between colonial exploitation and the foundations of modern British wealth. The documents, originally traded among collectors of rare stamps and postmarks, were brought to wider scholarly attention when Malik Al Nasir purchased a tranche while researching his own family history.

The letters, detailing the financial and personal affairs of families connected to Sandbach, Tinne and Company—a business involved in enslaved labour, cotton, sugar, and coffee—are now part of the University of Cambridge’s landmark Sandbach Tinne collection, joining the papers of historical luminaries such as Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin in the Cambridge Digital Library.

Al Nasir, a Cambridge PhD researcher and author, spent two decades uncovering the history behind these documents, tracing the fortunes of Lancashire business dynasties including the family of Liverpool mayor Samuel Sandbach (1769-1851), the Tinne family, and the Gladstones, who were immediate relatives of Victorian Prime Minister William Gladstone. His research reveals how these families accumulated wealth through enslaved labour in Guyana, intermarried, and played a formative role in shaping global capitalism and British society.

Among the archive’s significant revelations are records showing that the Gladstones and Sandbachs were among the largest recipients of compensation awarded to enslavers after the 1833 abolition of slavery. These payouts, redirected from formerly enslaved people to plantation owners, underscore the systemic inequities of the time. The collection also includes birth certificates of Black descendants, detailing how the plantation economy was intertwined with Britain’s Industrial Revolution, and offering insight into the social and economic networks of the era’s “West India merchants.”

Al Nasir, who is of Guyanese and Welsh descent, explained that his initial motivation was to piece together his own ancestry. “I became incredibly frustrated with how difficult it was to trace my family history,” he said. “None of the material was indexed or digitised, so I decided to buy it. These records were hiding in plain sight, yet they reveal an epic story of empire.”

His research also illuminates lesser-known narratives, including the role of an enslaved man, Jack Gladstone, in leading a largely non-violent 1823 rebellion on the Success plantation in Demerara, Guyana, owned by John Gladstone, father of William Ewart Gladstone. Al Nasir examines how Jack’s familial connection may have spared him the death penalty, offering new perspectives on resistance within the enslaved community.

The collection also documents the influence of Rev John Smith, an English Methodist preacher in Demerara, whose detailed reports of brutality against enslaved people galvanized public support for abolition in Britain. “The testimony of John Smith detailed the extreme cruelty faced by enslaved people in terms that the British Christian public could understand,” Al Nasir said. “It was instrumental in giving abolitionist efforts incredible momentum.”

Through this digital archive, historians, researchers, and the public now have unprecedented access to primary sources that illuminate the intersection of empire, commerce, and slavery. Al Nasir’s work not only enriches the understanding of Britain’s colonial past but also personalizes it, linking broader historical forces to the lived experiences of individuals and families affected by slavery.