Alfred Latham
Alfred Latham | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1801 Camberwell, England |
| Died | 1885 |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1824–1885 |
| Known for | Governor of the Bank of England (1861–1863), partner in Arbuthnot Latham bank |
Alfred Latham (1801–1885) was a prominent English banker and entrepreneur, born in Camberwell to Thomas Latham, a merchant and plantation proprietor, and Ann Jones. Benefiting from inherited wealth, he embarked on his business career in 1824 and later became a partner in the firm that evolved into the Arbuthnot Latham bank in 1833 alongside John Alves Arbuthnot.
In the year 1833, Latham was compensated with £3,873 (equivalent to around £370,000 in 2020) for surrendering ownership of 402 enslaved individuals.
Latham held the position of Governor of the Bank of England between 1861 and 1863, having previously served as Deputy Governor starting in 1859. He took over from Bonamy Dobrée and was succeeded by Kirkman Daniel Hodgson.
The Polish economist Louis Wolowski mentioned his correspondence with Latham in the 1870 publication L'or et l'argent.
Following research conducted by the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slave-ownership at UCL, the Bank of England issued a formal apology in June 2020 regarding Latham’s connections to the slave trade. The institution also revealed plans to remove Latham’s portrait, along with those of ten other former governors associated with slavery, from public exhibition.