Volume Thirteen - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - even more aspects - Slavery - echoes of the past . . . .

The property we stayed in was built by Dobshon Foster and he lived there for over 20 years. During his relatively short lifetime, Dobshon Foster's three ships, 'Balborough' [1752], 'Bold' [1755] and 'Hawke' [1757] plied the triangular route from the Lancaster quayside, outward bound to West Africa to barter for slaves. Then across the Atlantic Ocean to sell the slaves to the plantation owners of the West Indies and Virginia. The return journey back to Lancaster, being laden to the gunnels with high value goods including rum, sugar, cotton and mahogany.

Mahogany was a particular requirement in Lancaster since cabinet makers were abundant in the town and by 1794 there were at least twelve; the firm of Gillows being the most famous. Subsequently, in 1897, Gillows ran into financal problems and amalgamated with a firm from Liverpool and became Waring and Gillow. Richard Gillow (1733–1811) designed the Custom House of 1764 which is indeed a credit to a man of numerous talents.

James Hargreaves (1752-1804) ; was another Lancaster merchant and banker whom it seems was deeply embedded in several aspects of the slavery business. The following information is the research of Andrew Williams and relates to the Ashley Hall Estate. [1357]

James Hargreaves was a 'factor' in Jamaica from the early 1770's. A 'factor' is an agent who receives goods on consignment and sells them on commission and there are several records of his involvement in the proceeds of slavery and that he had worked for John Ashley owner of the Ashley Hall plantation in Vere parish.