American Slave Trade Records and Other Papers of the Tarleton Family, 1678-1838
The Tarleton family were influential merchants in Liverpool during the 18th century. The patriarch of the family, John Tarleton, was a slave trader and slave owner. The main focus of these papers is on their interests in Britain and the West Indies. Their trade also gave them social standing and influence. One of them became the mayor of Liverpool and another family member considered standing as an MP. Through revealing merchants' social and financial gains from the slave trade, these papers show how the two combined in Liverpool society.
The Tarletons emerged as one of the most prominent Liverpool merchant families in the second half of the eighteenth century
Key Documents
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Insights
The Tarleton correspondence discusses the East India Company as well as the family's place in society.
The profit and loss accounts were written at a time when financial figures provided all of the detail needed and they do not include detailed explanations.
The Tarleton marriage settlements reveal more about social change than how the business was run. Property details are also included.
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Miscellaneous papers, 1771-1813
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Tarleton Family marriage settlements, wills and deeds relating to property, 1678-1803
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Messrs Tarleton and Backhouse, 1786-1810
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John Tarleton, 1748-1776
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Other correspondence, 1833-1838
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Family correspondence, 1780-1797
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Political correspondence, 1767-1769