Mr Welby, 68, said in a personal statement that his great great great grandfather Sir James Fergusson owned slaves at the Rozelle Plantation in St Thomas, Jamaica, and received compensation from the British government when slavery was abolished.

Sir James Fergusson was the ancestor of the late Sir Anthony Montague Browne - Sir Winston Churchill's last private secretary.

In 2016, Mr Welby discovered in a "complete surprise" that Sir Anthony was his biological father - not Gavin Welby, the man who raised him.

The archbishop, who had no relationship with Sir Anthony, said he "recently discovered" his link to the "evil trade" of slavery. Mr Welby did not receive any money from his biological father while he was alive, or from his estate since his death.

In a statement, Mr Welby said: "While I sadly only discovered my relationship to Sir Anthony in 2016, three years after his death, I have had the delight of meeting my half-sister and her son.

He added: "My recent trip to Jamaica has helped me to confront the legacies of enslavement in the Caribbean and the responsibility owed to those who still suffer from the effects of this evil trade.

"I thank those who have given their time to such tireless research in this field, many of whom are descendants of enslaved people."

The Church of England announced in January 2023 that it was working to address historic links to slavery, with a funding programme for investment, research and engagement to "address past wrongs".

Read more:
Bianca Gascoigne says she was groomed by Al Fayed
Water companies seek even higher bill increases
Fraud probe into £112m Unite hotel complex

The initial £100m investment fund was branded too small and slow in a report earlier this year, with an independent oversight group saying Church Commissioners had "embraced a target of £1bn for a broader healing, repair and justice initiative with the fund at its centre".

Mr Welby, who is the leader of the global Anglican church, said in today's statement: "I reiterate the Church Commissioners' commitment to a thorough and accurate research programme, in the knowledge that archives have far more to tell us about what has come before us - often in a very personal way.

"I give thanks to God for this journey towards healing, justice and repair, as we take the path that Jesus Christ calls us to walk."