Thomas Leyland

Slavers bringing captives on board a slave ship on Africa's west coast

Thomas Leyland (c. 1752–1827) was an English slave trader. In 1776, he won a lottery and with his share of the winnings, he set himself up in the slave trade. Leyland bought at least 22,365 enslaved Africans and took them on his slave ships to the Americas.

Leyland set up a bank in order to finance the slave voyages of other slaver traders. Upon the abolition of slave trade, he diversified into retail banking. He became a politician and was Lord Mayor of Liverpool three times. While he was in office, the Liverpool council petitioned against regulation of the slave trade. He left £600,000 in his will, meaning he had been one of the richest men in England.