William Whaley

William Whaley (died circa 1765) was an English slave trader. He was involved in at least 22 slave voyages from the Port of Liverpool, and was one of the biggest slave traders in British America. He employed two of the biggest slave traders, William Davenport and William Earle, before they became slave traders. Slave trade Whaley was involved in at least 22 slave voyages in the years between 1750 and 1759 from the Port of Liverpool. Whaley sold luxury goods to, and maintained a connection with John Ward the owner of Capesthorne Hall. In 1741, John Ward sent his grandson William Davenport to Liverpool to work as an apprentice for Whaley. Davenport worked for Whaley as a grocer and in the African trades for 7 years. Whaley was paid £120 to take Davenport as his apprentice, with an additional annual fee of £25. For the period, the fees paid would be very large, which indicates that Whaley's firm offered a substantial education. Upon completion of the apprenticeship Whaley and Davenport became partners in slave voyages, between 1748 and 1753 they were involved in eight slave voyages. Whaley and Davenport pioneered the creation of Old Calabar as a slaving station. Davenport subsequently became, by the number of slave voyages completed, Britain's biggest slave trader.