John Bolton

Bolton was born and educated locally in Ulverston, Lancashire before being apprenticed in Liverpool to Rawlinson and Chorley, one of the port’s leading West India firms. From there, he was sent to St Vincent in 1773, where he was employed by a business associate of his patrons, Miles Drinknall, and became their agent on the island. He then briefly moved to St Lucia in 1781, before returning to Liverpool in 1784 possibly as a result of the cession of the island to France. He imported sugar, cotton, coffee, and rum, with much of the sugar, rum and molasses probably coming from the plantation he partly owned on St Vincent, Bockstock Park estate. 180-200 enslaved people worked and lived on this plantation, alongside his partners John and Nathaniel Basnett Cooper. He later ventured into the transatlantic slave trade itself, delivering more than 20,000 enslaved individuals upon his vessels. Bolton financed more voyages than any other Liverpool investor. He traded primarily with Demarara, especially in sugar, and also primarily independently. Outside of his involvement in slavery, Bolton donated to the national voluntary subscription scheme during the Napoleonic wars, and equipped a volunteer force at his own expense. He commanded them with the rank of lieutenant colonel until 1806. He also served on a number of local charitable bodies and committees, and organised the annual regattas on Lake Windermere, where he owned property. He donated toward the establishment of King’s College London around 1828. His residence in Duke Street, Liverpool was used as th headquarters for multiple campaids by Liberal tories. After the Slave Compensation Act, he attempted claims upon at least four estates, and is associated with seven throughout his lifetime. Upon his death, he left money to the needy in Ulverston and Bowness (near his property at Lake Windermere), the church and poor of Demerara and Essequibo, and former employees including captains of his vessels. He was remembered for his charitable donations to Ulverston and Bowness.