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The 'Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor' was a charitable organisation set up in 1786 in London to provide sustainence for distressed people of African and Asian origin in London. It became a crucial organisation in the subsequent proposal to form a colony in Sierra Leone.
On 5 January 1786 an announcement appeared in ''The Public Advertiser'' that Mr Brown, a baker in Wigmore Street, Cavendish Square was to "give a Quartern Loaf to every Black in Distress, who will apply on Saturdaynext between the Hours of Twelve and Two". details enabling people to subscribe. A meeting was organised for 10 January and by the end of the month they had summarised the situation. Originally concern was expressed about Lascars, Asian seamen. However it was found that there were about 250 "Blacks in Distress" of whom only 35 came from the East Indies, the others being from Africa or the West Indies. 100 claimed they had been in the Royal Navy. In common with other responses to serious social problems, the issue was not addressed by the government, but rather by concerned citizens setting up such appeals and lists, e.g. there was also around this time a subscription list to support distressed weavers in Spitalfields.
After the original meeting, held in the premises of Mr Faulder, a book seller of Bond Street, the following meetings were held in Batson's Coffee House, opposite the Royal Exchange. It attracted some prominent figures from London's financal elite: George Peters, Governor of the Bank of England, Thomas Boddington, the noted philanthropist and slave owner, John Julius Angerstein, General Robert Melville. Montagu Borgoyne was the original chair person, but after a few weeks his business interests took him away from London and he was replaced by Benjamin Johnson, who in turn suffered ill-health and was replaced by Jonas Hanway. The abolitionists Samuel Hoare and two of the three Thorton brothers, Henry and Samuel were also involved along with James Pettit Andrews and Sir Joseph Andrews.
On 14 February ''The Morning Herald'' remarked:
:"The example of the Duchess of Devonshire, in contributing to the relief of the poor Blacks, has had a salutary effect. The Countess of Salisbury, the Countess of Essex, Marchioness of Buckingham and a variety of other titled characters are also on the charitable list."
When the appeal was closed on 18 April a total of £890 1s had been raised. Donors included many bishops and clergy, including Herbert Mayo and William Pitt. Aside from general benevolence, this cause attracted particular sympathy because so many were Black Loyalists who had served in the British armed forces. The largest donation was collected from amongst the Quakers by Samuel Hoare.
The Committee soon organised two venues for regular distribution of alms: the White Raven tavern in Mile End and the Yorkshire Stingo, in Lisson Grove, Marylebone. These venues were open for several hours a day providing outdoor relief. There was also a sick house set up in Warren Street where 40-50 needing medical attention were provided for with indoor relief. Some of the recipients of aid were found jobs, particularly as seamen. In providing clothes so that men could get work as sailors, some of the committee members were simply applying the same charitable methods they had used in organisations like the Marine Society. However, the shortage of work at sea meant that unemployment remained a problem. Surplus labour was drifting in from the countryside, and many English people also took up begging in London. Lacking the resources to set up any new industry, the Committee took heed of such individualsas Richard Weaver who was "willing and desirous to go to Halifax and other Parts of Nova Scotia where there is a fairer Prospect of Employment". Soon the charity focussed its goals on giving "a temporary relief to the objects of the Charity, and in future to provide them with clothes and a settlement abroad" . . . "to such places as may put them in a condition of getting their bread in freedom and comfort".
Historians differ as to whether a desire to remove black people from London was a principal goal of the committee or whether it was more focussed on strictly altruistic goals. Although there was a prevalent view amongst contemporary White West Indians that racial intermarriage was abhorrent, this was not a significant viewpoint in London at this time. However, the chair of the committee did write to the Standing Committee of West India Planters and Merchants requesting their advice and assistance in procuring an act of parliament to "prevent any Foreign Blacks being brought to this country to remain", though not much came of this proposal.

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★ ''Black Poor and White Philanthropists: London's Blacks and the Foundation of the Sierra Leone Settlement 1786 - 1791'' by Stephen Braidwood, Liverpool University Press, 1994.