Robert Milligan (1746-1809)
Robert Milligan (19 August 1746 – 21 May 1809) was a prominent Scottish mercantile chamber member and slaveowner who was the driving force behind the construction and initial statutory sectoral monopoly of London's West India Docks.
From 1768 to 1779 Milligan was a merchant in Kingston, Jamaica. He left in 1779 to establish himself in London. By the time of his death, one of Milligan's partnerships had interests in estates in Jamaica which owned 526 slaves in their sugar plantations.
Outraged at losses due to theft and delays at London's riverside wharves, Milligan headed a group of powerful businessmen who planned and built West India Docks, which was to have a monopoly on the import into London of West Indian produce such as sugar, rum and coffee for a period of 21 years. The Docks officially opened in August 1802. Milligan later served as Chairman of the Company.
Condensed from the Wikipedia entry, accessed 6 Aug 2022.