Edward Colston (1636 - 1721)
Edward Colston was a Bristol merchant and great philanthropist in the city, although he lived in London from the age of 18. He had trading interests with the Royal African Company (his name appears associated with the company for at least 11 years) as well as in the European cloth, oil and wine trade. He clearly made a proportion of his wealth through slavery, although to what extent this formed the basis of his fortune is hard to tell. He gave much of his money to charitable causes in Bristol, where there are still streets, a concert hall, and schools named after him. His statue is prominent in the city centre but without reference to his involvement in the slave trade.