Alfred Latham

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Alfred Latham (1801–1885) was an English businessman and banker, born in Camberwell to Thomas Latham (1746–1818), a merchant and plantation owner, and his wife, Ann Jones. Inheriting wealth, Latham went into business in 1824, and went into partnership in what became the Arbuthnot Latham bank in 1833, with John Alves Arbuthnot (1802–1875).[1]

Alfred Latham

In 1833, Latham received £3,873 (c.£370,000 in 2020 money) as compensation for giving up the ownership of 402 slaves.[2]

Latham was Governor of the Bank of England from 1861 to 1863. He had been Deputy Governor from 1859 to 1861. He replaced Bonamy Dobrée as Governor and was succeeded by Kirkman Daniel Hodgson.[3]

The Polish economist Louis Wolowski published an extract of letter sent he sent to Latham in his book L'or et l'argent (1870).[4]

In June 2020, the Bank of England issued a public apology for the involvement of Latham, amongst other employees, in the slave trade following the investigation by the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership at UCL.[5] According to The Art Newspaper the Bank of England will remove Lathams portrait from public view, as well as 10 more portraits of former governors, such as Benjamin Buck Greene, that are linked to slavery.[6]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Lascelles, David. "Latham, Alfred". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/41292. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Jolly, Jasper (18 June 2020). "Bank praised by Boris Johnson had slavery links, data shows". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  3. ^ Governors of the Bank of England. Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine Bank of England, London, 2013. Archived here. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  4. ^ Wolowski, M (1870). L'or et l'argent. Paris: Guillamumin. pp. XXVII–XL.
  5. ^ Jasper Jolly (18 June 2020). "Bank of England apologises for role of former directors in slave trade". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Bank of England wades into UK's escalating culture war on controversial monuments, saying it will remove images of slave owners". www.theartnewspaper.com. Retrieved 27 February 2021.

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