Robert Milligan (merchant)

Robert Milligan (1746 – 21 May 1809) was a prominent Scottish merchant and ship-owner [1]

Having grown up on his wealthy family's sugar plantations in Jamaica, Milligan left Jamaica in 1779 to establish himself in London,[2] living in Hampstead for a period.[3] In 1809, the year of his death, Milligan owned 526 slaves who worked at his sugar plantation called Kellet's and Mammee Gully.[4]

West India Docks

Outraged at losses due to theft and delays at London's riverside wharves, Milligan headed a group of powerful businessmen who planned and built West India Docks,[5] which was to have a monopoly on the import into London of West Indian produce such as sugar, rum and coffee for a period of 21 years.[6] The Docks' foundation stone was laid in July 1800, when Milligan was Deputy Chairman of the West India Dock Company – his strong connections with the political establishment of the day were evident from those attending the ceremony, the stone being laid by Lord Chancellor Lord Loughborough and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger as well as Company chairman George Hibbert and himself.[7]

The Docks officially opened just over two years later in August 1802. Milligan later also served as Chairman of the Company.

Memorial
Main article: Statue of Robert Milligan
Statue of Robert Milligan formerly in front of the Museum of London Docklands, by Richard Westmacott

A statue of Milligan, crafted by Richard Westmacott in May 1809, stood in front of the Museum of London Docklands. The statue was removed on 9 June 2020 by the local authority to "recognise the wishes of the community", following the removal of Edward Colston's statue in Bristol by anti-racism protesters in response to the killing of George Floyd.[8][9]

Milligan has also had a local street named after him: Milligan Street is located near Westferry DLR station, just off Narrow Street, Limehouse.

See also

References
  1. Danielle Thom (23 October 2018). "Mapping the legacy of slavery in London's Docklands". Museum of London. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020 |archive-url= requires |url= (help). Unknown parameter |<url= ignored (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  2. "The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce – History". Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2006.
  3. "'Hampstead: Belsize', A History of the County of Middlesex". Hampstead, Paddington. 1989. pp. 51–60. Archived from the original on 3 October 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2006.
  4. "1811 Jamaica Almanac – Clarendon Slave-owners". Jamaicanfamilysearch.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  5. "Robert Milligan (c.1746–1809). – The working Thames". Port Cities. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  6. "Docklands Light Railway – Teachers' Resource Pack" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2006.
  7. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd., ed. (1927). "Official Guide to the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar". Cheltenham. Archived from the original on 1 May 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  8. "Robert Milligan statue statement". Museum for London. 9 June 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  9. "Robert Milligan: Slave trader statue removed from outside London museum". BBC News. 9 June 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
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