They came from Langholm, and may have belonged to James Irving, a ship's captain in the slave trade from Liverpool.These decorative glass beads were used to ease the passage of traders mainly across Africa. Similar beads are also found in the United States and Canada and throughout Latin America. They were used as ballast in slave/trade ships for the outbound trip. Beads and other trade items were exchanged for human cargo as well as ivory, gold and other goods desired in Europe and around the world.
These beads came from Langholm, and may have belonged to James Irving, a ship's captain in the slave trade from Liverpool. This indicates that although history has not recorded such local connections, and there was no slave trading port in Dumfries and Galloway, people from the area were nonetheless involved in several aspects of this trade.
Slave Beads, West Coast of Africa, 1780s
Contributed by Dumfries Museum
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