Richard and William King facts for kids

Richard and William King Ltd was a trading company from Bristol, England. Two brothers, William and Richard King, started it. Before this, they worked with their father, Thomas King. Their first company bought a large sailing ship called John Cabot. They used it for trading, but it had to be left in Freetown because it leaked too much.

The Company's Journey

Starting a New Business

Around 1833, Thomas King left the business. The company then became known as William and Richard King Ltd. While their father traded in America and Europe, the brothers focused on the coast of West Africa. The company learned a lot about trading between Bristol and West Africa. By 1840, it had grown big, owning 8 ships.

Expanding Trade Routes

In 1841, after Thomas King passed away, the brothers bought a new ship. They named it the African Queen. Within a year, the African Queen made its first trip. It returned with valuable goods like elephant tusks, palm oil, and coconuts. They traded these for manillas, which were like bracelets used as money.

The company first traded along the coast of Côte d'Ivoire. This area was away from bigger companies from Liverpool. Those companies focused on the Niger Delta, which had rich but more expensive palm oil.

Moving East and Making Friends

In the early 1840s, the company started moving further east. They went towards Gabon, the Bight of Biafra, and Dahomey. They set up a trading post along the Cameroon River. To keep local African chiefs happy, they gave gifts. These included a large umbrella and a special dressing case filled with cosmetics.

The company was not as big as some other European traders in the Cameroons. But it had an important trading post on the Cameroon River. It also had a strong presence in the area.

Dealing with Challenges

One of the company's representatives was in Bonny when Jaja of Opobo led a group to form a new settlement called Opobo. In the 1880s, Richard and William King Ltd was among British companies that disagreed with Jaja.

The company used a "coasting" system for trade. Unlike Liverpool companies that stayed in one place for months, William and King ships sailed along the coast of West Africa. They made frequent stops, giving out "trust" (credit), manillas, or other items for trade. Then, they would return later to collect goods. This method also helped them spread out their risks.

Changes in the Market

By the 1850s, the company supplied 12% of the British palm oil market. The brothers' success was also helped by their base in Bristol. They were the top palm oil traders there. This gave them an advantage over rivals in South Wales, the Midlands, and Birmingham. Bristol also made many goods like clothes and gunpowder that were sent to West Africa.

However, by the 1860s, the palm oil business became less profitable. New types of oils were found in America, and prices started to drop. Also, new steamships changed how trade worked. Before, traders owned both the ships and the goods. But steamships made trade cheaper and allowed smaller traders to join the market.

The Company's End

By the 1880s, Mervyn King, William King's son, was in charge. The company had become a major British firm. It managed to survive the division of Africa by European powers and a tough economic time. In 1889, their business in the Niger Delta joined with other traders to form the African Association Ltd. Later, in the 1920s, the rest of their business was bought by Lever Brothers.

The King Brothers

Richard King's Public Service

In 1835, Richard King became a Councillor for Redcliffe. This meant he helped make decisions for the local area. In 1845, he became the Mayor of Bristol. His great-grandfather, John King, had also been a mayor before him.

Richard King was very interested in the docks of Bristol. He led a campaign to let the Bristol council take over the docks from the Merchant Venturers. This was a group of powerful merchants. In 1848, after the council successfully took over, he became the chairman of the docks committee. In 1851, he became a master of the Society of Merchant Venturers.