Bryan Blundell (c. 1675–1756) was an English merchant and philanthropist who served as

Mayor of Liverpool The mayor of Liverpool is the executive mayor of the city of Liverpool in England. The incumbent mayor is Joanne Anderson, who was elected in May 2021. The mayor of Liverpool was previously branded 'the most powerful politician in England outs ...

. Blundell founded The The Liverpool Blue Coat Hospital School in 1708 in conjunction with the Rector of Liverpool, the Reverend Robert Stythe, to provide an education for the city's destitute children and orphans.

Life and career

Maritime career

Blundell first went to sea aged 12 and kept a detailed journal painting a vivid picture of the tumultuous political times and their impact on transatlantic trade. This document also contains his amateur colour drawings of ships and detailed drafts of their rigging plans, which enabled him to have vessels constructed in Virginia at a far lower cost than in England. After his early exposure to the sea, Blundell made a career as merchant. Blundell captained ''The Mulberry'', which was the first ship in the

Old Dock The Old Dock, originally known as Thomas Steers' dock, was the world's first commercial wet dock. The dock was built on the River Mersey in Liverpool, England, starting in 1710 and completed in 1716. A natural tidal pool off the River Mersey ...

in Liverpool in 1715. and transported a large number of English indentured workers to Virginia. Blundell was also involved in the trade and transportation of African slaves. He was the owner of the ''Tarleton'' which landed 236 slaves in Barbados having embarked them on the Gold Coast. Blundell's sons continued an involvement in the trade throughout the 18th century.

Philanthropy

In 1708, Blundell used much of his fortune to found a

Bluecoat School A bluecoat school is a type of charity school in England, the first of which was founded in the 16th century. Most of them have closed; some remain open as schools, often on different sites, and some of the original buildings have been adapted ...

in Liverpool in conjunction with The Rev’d Robert Stythe. Both Blundell and Stythe were members of the

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is a UK-based Christian charity. Founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray, it has worked for over 300 years to increase awareness of the Christian faith in the UK and across the world. The SPCK is t ...

and in line with the organisation's mission in England they founded The Liverpool Blue Coat Hospital School in 1708. Fifty boys were admitted to the school in its first year and a school building (now the

Bluecoat Chambers Built in 1716–17 as a charity school, Bluecoat Chambers in School Lane is the oldest surviving building in central Liverpool, England. Following the Liverpool Blue Coat School's move to another site in 1906, the building was rented from 1907 ...

) was dedicated in 1717 to provide boarding facilities for the growing number of students, toward which Blundell gave £500. After Robert Stythe's death in 1714 Blundell was appointed as treasurer of the school, an appointment he held for 42 years until his own death in 1756. Upon gaining this position, Blundell finally resigned himself from the sea. Blundell expressed a desire in his accounts to 'see as many charity schools as there are churches' as well as to see 100 boys and girls in the Blue Coat before his death - a desire which was indeed accomplished. Blundell died on 27 January 1756 and was interred at Our Lady and St Nicholas Church. His sons succeeded him as treasurers of the Blue Coat. His memorial stone, originally housed in Our Lady and St Nicholas Church, now resides in the chapel of The Liverpool Blue Coat School after the church was damaged during the

Liverpool Blitz The Liverpool Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of the English city of Liverpool and its surrounding area, during the Second World War by the German ''Luftwaffe''. Liverpool was the most heavily bombed area of the country, outside Lo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blundell, Bryan Mayors of Liverpool English slave traders English philanthropists 1756 deaths Year of birth uncertain 18th-century English businesspeople