The John Bargrave Collection
Edward Bartar ( - fl. 1696-1700)
Alias Thomas Edward Bartar [Alias]Slaving agent in West Africa, employed by the Royal African Company. Bartar was of Anglo-African descent, "probably born to an English slave-trading father and an African mother" (Murphy, 14). In 1690, the Company sent him to England for an education, and it was probably during this time when he became acquainted with Petiver, for whom he collected specimens in Africa, and Samuel Doody and Leonard Plukenet. He returned to the Gold Coast in 1693. In their correspondence, Petiver attempted to persuade Bartar to use slaves to gather specimens (Ibid.). While in England, Bartar married, but apparently left his wife behind when he returned to Africa (Bosman, 52). A contemporary account describes him as a "Mulatto... who hath a greater Power on the Coast, than all the three English Agents together (Bosman 51). He was thus viewed as a local with special knowledge of the region, able to "raise a large number of Armed Men; some whereof [were] his own slaves" (ibid.) Other biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edward_Barter Roles: Sender of objects(s)
Relevant locations: Lived at or near Cape Coast Castle
People linked to person: Edward Bartar was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Samuel Doody (28 May 1656-1706)
Edward Bartar was a friend of James Petiver (c. 1665-Apr 1718)
Edward Bartar was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Leonard Plukenet (1642-1706)
Edward Bartar was a employed by Royal African Company (1660-)