Macgregor Laird (1808 – 9 January 1861) was a Scottish merchant pioneer of British trade on the River Niger. Laird's commercial expedition between 1832 and 1834 to navigate the Niger and initiate trade between Europeans and Africans northwards of the coast was considered a failure, majority of the passengers died and the volume of trade realized was minimal. However, his experience provided information about the design of vessels suitable on the Niger and the various settlements in the interior of the Niger Delta. Laird never returned to Africa but instead devoted himself to the development of trade with West Africa and especially to the opening up of the countries then forming the British protectorates of Nigeria. One of his principal reasons for so doing was his belief that this method was the best means of stopping the slave trade and raising the social condition of the Africans. Early life Laird was born at Greenock, the younger son of Agnes and William Laird, founder of the Birkenhead firm of shipbuilders of that name. His paternal grandfather, John Laird, was a merchant and rope maker in Greenock while his maternal grandfather, Gregor Macgregor, had commanded a ship that undertook voyages between Greenock and the West Indies. Laird's brother, John was himself a notable shipbuilder. Laird was educated at Edinburgh University. In 1829, while at the university, he fell ill, caused by typhus infection. He was helped to recovery by Dr Thomas Briggs who later accompanied Laird in the expedition to the Niger. After graduation, Laird joined the family business in Birkenhead where he developed interest in building steamships. Career Niger voyage In the early 1830s, Richard Lander, an associate of Hugh Clapperton was provided subsidy to return to Africa and find the course of the Niger. Upon the reception of Richard Lander's report of reaching the mouth of the Niger, enthusiasm for an exploratory team to West Africa grew and the report also rekindled interest in merchants looking for new markets. In 1831, Laird and certain Liverpool merchants formed the African Inland Commercial Company with the objective of the commercial development of the Niger regions, after the lower course of the Niger having been made known that year by brothers Richard and John Lander. Laird worked on the designs of the ships to be contracted on a voyage to navigate the Niger, though the primary aim was to foster trade with the