William Jacob (c. 1761 – 17 December 1851[1]) was an English merchant, shipowner, scientist, parliamentarian, public official and advocate for expanded British trade.
At this time William Jacob was a key influencer in advocating Britain's attempt at invasion and overthrow of the weak Spanish control over its American empire.
In 1807 they sought investors for an expedition to the South Seas to trade contraband fabrics with the closed colonies of Spain's American empire.
[4] While each of the ships were commissioned with letter of marque their primary role was to trade British fabrics for silver, gold or copper ingots.
[1] According to Joshua Wilson, Jacob had become by 1806, “a commercial man of considerable credit” and was “one of the few Englishmen who, in the present day had carried on a direct trade with South America.”[6]