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

However, the old sugar-houses slowly declined due in part to the fact that they had clung to outdated processing techniques at a time when the rest of the country was in the grips of the industrial revolution with steam power replacing man-power with all the efficiency and cost effectiveness that mechanisation could potentially generate

The West India Association of Bristol stood for the continuation of the old way of doing things and they worked closely with the corresponding standing committee in London. They racked up large expenses (£445) travelling between Bristol and London in the process during 1833-34. In 1834, the Association complained to the Colonial Secretary about the difficulty of obtaining free black or white labour to replace the slaves!

The last President of the Association was Thomas Daniel, once Bristol's 'Grand Old Man' of West India interest ; in 1834 he had received the largest sum of any local merchant in compensation of slaves freed - £55,177 13s. 3d. - for his Bristol business interests alone. The Association fought on and lasted until 1857.

The foregoing is based upon a fine book entitled 'The City and County of Bristol' by Bryan Little [1385] which confirms the lack of prosperity in Bristol at the time when the Rev. John Ashley was building and funding his Mission to Seamen which perhaps further supports the theory that previous slave-trade income was a significant factor. I quote once more the newspaper account of September 1852 which stated: -

'In the year 1836 the mission was commenced under the Rev. Doctor's auspices, and up to 1841 was entirely supported out of his own private means.'