Graham Trust is an insurance underwriter who has written a book about a highly influential Liverpool businessman of the Georgian/Victorian era. The title of his book, and of his talk to the Society, is John Moss of Otterspool (1782-1858) - Railway Pioneer, Slave Owner, Banker. The book is based on a collection of 312 letters from Moss to Sir John Gladstone (father of the Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone). Moss lived in a mansion in Otterspool Park - and was at one time the owner of Graham's house in Aigburth. Along with other pictures, Graham will be showing recently discovered photographs of Otterspool House and of the estate.

John Moss played a prominent part in establishing the world's first modern railway, from Liverpool to Manchester, which opened in 1830. He was its first chairman, and was chairman of the Grand Junction Railway (Newton le Willows to Birmingham). He also helped establish the early railways of France and the Netherlands. In 1822 Moss had inherited 1,000 West Indian slaves, and he and Gladstone negotiated the astronomical compensation package which Britain's slave owners won from the government when slavery was abolished in 1834. They were also the architects of a scheme to transport paid workers from India to their plantations in British Guiana.

The talk will include references to the many famous people who figured in Moss's busy life, including George Stephenson, William Roscoe, William Wilberforce, William Huskisson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel. Graham will also be bringing along copies of his book for sale.