Liverpool's forgotten trade: Merseyside's whaling industry since 1750

The port of Liverpool is often associated with transatlantic slavery and shipping to east Asia. However, there was another sizable trade that Liverpool was involved in - whaling. In fact, in terms of the numbers of vessels being sent to the Arctic, Liverpool was arguably England's 'second' whaling port by the 1770s.

Regardless, Liverpool's whaling interests eventually went into long-term decline, with 1823 being the last year a whaling ship departed Liverpool for the Arctic. Even so, this was not quite the end of the story, as during the 20h century Norwegian whaling craft would sail into the Mersey. 

This talk will discuss several aspects of the port's whaling history, including the patterns of said trade, its business model, how it shaped the port's built environment, as well as the politics of it. 

Tickets for this talk are free and will be available for booking soon.