Between 1823 and 1843 he and his brother headed the list of British merchants who were the major creditors for estates that passed through the chancery courts in Barbados.
For decades he was a key member of organisations in Bristol such as the Society of Merchant Venturers and the West India Association which lobbied against the abolition of slavery.
's memorial in Bristol Cathedral refers to him as a "respectable merchant in this city" which as contemporary authors on slavery assert gives no indication of the source of his wealth – enslaved labour.
[11][18] At the age of 72, on 1 January 1836, Daniel was again elected as Mayor, but he refused to serve, and the same year he surrendered his leadership of the Tories which he had dominated for decades.
At least 1 of his ships (Berwick) had been in the service of the East India Company, but under his ownership sailed back and forwards to the West Indies.
[24] He was also a partner in firms such as Daniel, Harford & Co. importing goods from Newfoundland and northern Europe to Bristol and exporting to the West Indies.
Between 1823 and 1843 he and his brother headed the list of British merchants who were the major creditors for estates that passed through the chancery courts in Barbados.
[32] In 2022 his portion (the figure quoted above) is the equivalent of approximately £10.7 million based on the percentage increase in the Retail Price Index from 1834 to 2022.
"[19] Daniel died at 92 of "natural decay and sinking of vital powers" at his home 20 Berkeley Square, Bristol on 6 April 1854 and was buried at St Mary's, Henbury where he had his country residence.
[6] On his death he was described as "amongst the mightiest of our city magnates" in an obituary that says "[there was a time] when the name of Alderman Daniel was almost idolised by [the Tory] party... however ... he had come to be regarded as ranged with the traditions of the past.
"[60] Another obituary said: "... Alderman Daniel became the idol of one side, and the dread of the other, and on the occasion of the lamentable riots in this city in 1831, many and deep were the threats uttered by the mob that he should suffer ...
The estates of the deceased gentleman in the West Indies are of great extent, and he was of course a considerable sufferer by the suicidal policy of our Government a few years since.
He leaves also large landed estates in Devonshire and Gloucestershire ... His business faculties remained unclouded to the very last, and he was actively engaged in the concerns of the eminent firm in which he was senior partner until within a very few days of his death ... [He was] the gentleman who for many years enjoyed the title of 'The Father of Bristol'.
[19][62] Thomas Daniel & Co. remained an active owner of sugar plantations, particularly in British Guiana and Barbados until its voluntary liquidation in 1894.
[65] The 2017 article written by the late reporter Mohamed Khan states that Immediately after emancipation Mr Daniel an Englishman and the owner of plantation Sparta, Fear Not, Coffee Grove and Lima decided to sell his lands to free African slaves on the Essequibo Coast.
Many sugar, coffee and cotton plantations in particular, faced competition with cheap labour in the USA by other enslavesd people, and the owner could not survive in such a situation.
The articles go on to say that Mr Daniel, the owner of these four amalgamated estates of Lima, Coffee Grove, Fear Not and Sparta decided to sell Danielstown, and a group of free African slaves seeing their brothers buying up abandon estates to live on, pooled their money and bought Danielstown for £2000 British pounds in 1840.
[66] Khan writes that shortly after Mr Daniel sold his land, he requested of the new owners to rename the plantation Danielstown in his honour.
This was done and he donated his own money to help develop Danielstown for the free Africans slaves so they could live a happy and comfortable life.