William Freeman

William Freeman was a plantation owner and slave trader from the West Indies who made a career in the Royal African Company before the age of 38 when he went blind and retired from business.

William Freeman was born on St Kitt’s in the West Indies in 1645 where his father owned the slave and sugar plantations in St. Kitts and Jamaica. He bought the plantations in Montserrat and Nevis on St Kitts and later inherited that from his father. He also worked as a factor or agent for the British slaving company called Royal African Company which was founded in 1672 and held the monopoly until 1698.

In 1675, at the age of 30 Freeman moved to London where he established a counting house in Crosby Square, the heart of slave trading district in London and ran his business from there. By the age of 38 Freeman was going blind and decided to retire from business.