LEGACY: William Gladstone was the son of slave-owning John Gladstone
THE family of Victorian-era prime minister William Gladstone will travel to South America to apologise for the part their ancestor played in the slave trade, it was reported yesterday.
The Liberal Party hero — PM on four occasions in the 19th century — was the son of John Gladstone, one of the largest slave owners in the British West Indies.
Charlie Gladstone, the great-great-great grandson of John, said he “felt absolutely sick” when he found out about his family’s slave-owning past.
BOB NEWLAND appreciates an important contribution to the debate about how slavery helped to build the wealth of Western companies and states
ELLIS RAE recommends a stunning history of the active role played by the British monarchy in establishing and profiting from slavery
ROGER McKENZIE reports on the west African country, under its new anti-imperialist government, taking up the case for compensation for colonial-era massacres
On the anniversary of the implementation of the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act, ROGER McKENZIE warns that the legacy of black enslavement still looms in the Caribbean and beyond