Charles Goldbourne Steede was born in Barbados on 15 June 1890.[1] He migrated to Britain in the early twentieth century and was part of the Merchant Marine during the First World War.[2] It is unknown when he settled in Hull; however, he was living in the region by the time the conflict had ended.
Although they risked their lives on board merchant ships during the First World War, the early 1920s were also particularly difficult for sailors of African descent living in Hull and other port cities. As men came home from war and were reabsorbed into the shipping sector, the colour bar was instated which prevented Black and Asian seafarers from gaining employment. Many men were out of work for significant periods of time – and this including Steede. The lack of opportunities in the maritime sphere led to social stigmatisation as sailors of African descent were often left in poverty. This gave rise to further ill-feeling and suspicions about the conduct of Black men. In April 1921 Steede was accused of benefiting from the immoral earnings of a married white woman. These accusations were highlighted when Patricia Anderson was summoned to the Hull City Police Court for inciting a crowd, committing wilful damage, and assaulting Steede’s partner Mary Manchester.[3] The attack appears to have been racially motivated since when Anderson entered the couple’s home at 4 Providence Terrace, Walker Street, she said to Manchester that she would give her “a black man’s mark.”[4] During a struggle windows and furniture were smashed and the prisoner tried to swing Manchester around by her hair and gouge her eyes. Eventually Manchester managed to get away and locked Anderson in the house. P.C. Atkinson then arrived at the scene and apprehended Manchester.
It was reported that nothing appeared to have occurred to provoke Anderson and that Steede and Manchester had not invited her into their house. Although, this was the main focus of the case, the court still enquired whether Steede had been living on his partner’s immoral earnings. Mr Pearlman, who represented the prisoner, suggested that Manchester had many Black men in her house and that she led a life of ill repute. He asked whether she was married to which she replied she was. Pearlman then asked: “Are you separated from your husband and living with a black man?” She answered that she had been living with Steede for around seven months. Pearlman then asked how many men she had in her house the night before, to which she responded none. The barrister then pushed her further and asked her to tell the court how many men she had had in her home the night before last. She said Steede was at home and there was one other Black man with them. Perhaps Pearlman’s focus had been to discount Manchester’s statement because of her relationships with men of African descent?
When Steede was questioned, he suggested that he had arrived home at midnight to a commotion in the house. He heard the prisoner shouting from inside the house “You black ________ I’ll get you out of it. I’ll smash every ______ thing in the house.”[5] He said that Anderson was very much intoxicated and that when she was taken into custody she asked the police officer “Are you going to lock up a white woman for a nigger?” When questioned by Pearlman, Steede revealed that he had been out of work for some time and had last drawn unemployment pay in February. However, he had money because he had a private income. Steede insisted that he had never lived on a woman’s earnings and had worked all his life. Strangely, this part of the case attracted more attention than Anderson’s crime. The Hull Daily Mail reported the case under the heading ‘A Sordid Story at Hull: Black and White’ presenting Steede as the criminal not the victim.[6]
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By 1922, Steede was once again gaining employment onboard long distance vessels that were embarking from the port of Hull. In the winter of that year, he was employed as a fireman on board the Melpo which travelled to Boston, US. When he returned to Hull, Steede married Mary E. Smith in the city.[7]
Like many seafarers, Steede saw the world travelling on board merchant vessels. In 1929, he worked on board the British Greenwich as a fireman. The vessel travelled from Hull to Russia and then to Rhode Island before arriving back in Britain.[8] The crewing list describes Steede as a 5 foot 11in Barbadian fireman with over 15 years’ experience at sea.
Like many seafarers, Steede saw the world travelling on board merchant vessels. In 1929, he worked on board the British Greenwich as a fireman. The vessel travelled from Hull to Russia and then to Rhode Island before arriving back in Britain.[8] The crewing list describes Steede as a 5 foot 11in Barbadian fireman with over 15 years’ experience at sea.
In the 1930s Steede left Hull and moved to Tynemouth. In 1935 he married Mary E. Johnson (possibly bigamously as a death certificate for his first wife has not yet been found).[9] However, their marriage did not last long and in the late 1930s, Steede started a relationship with Caroline Samson. The 1939 register shows that the couple lived together at 13 Union Street in North Shields.[10] In 1941, they parted, and Caroline went to live in South Shields with another man of African descent, Alfred George Lee. However, a year later, while Lee was at sea, she returned to live with Steede. When she was moving, Caroline took some of Lee’s furniture and was sent to prison for stealing. Three years later, in 1944, Lee passed Caroline and Steede’s house and on seeing the curtains she had stolen from him hanging at their window, broke in and smashed some furniture. Lee ended up at Tynemouth Police Court charged with damaging a three-piece bed set, a bedstead, dining table and several other items to the value of £20. Police Constable Wilson gave evidence that when he arrived at the property Lee had smashed everything and was tearing bedclothes with his teeth.[11] However, despite Wilson’s statement the case was dismissed because the ownership of the items could not be ascertained. Lee insisted the furniture that he smashed was his while Steede maintained he had purchased it with his own money.[12]
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In June 1953, Steede appeared in court once again, however this time he appeared as the defendant. The Barbadian was accused of making a false representation to the Assistance Board because he had drawn National Assistance despite having £300 in property. Steede insisted this was unintentional as he thought only savings above £500 had to be declared to the Board.[13] Nevertheless he was found guilty and fined £10. Three years later, in June 1956, Steede was fined once again. However, this time it was a sum of £5 by Tynemouth magistrates for failing to complete a rent tribunal form.[14] Steede remained in Tynemouth for the rest of his life. He died in June 1968 at the age of 78.[15]
Footnotes
[1] There are several different spellings of Steede’s full name.
[2] National Archives medcahttp://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8098569
[3] Hull Daily Mail, 29 April 1921, p. 5
[4] Hull Daily Mail, 29 April 1921, p. 5
[5] Hull Daily Mail, 29 April 1921, p. 5
[6] Hull Daily Mail, 29 April 1921, p. 5
[7] Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010.
[8] Ancestry.com. U.S., Atlantic Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1873 and 1893-1959 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2010.
[9] Mary E. Steede died in North Tyneside in 1988 therefore she was still alive when her husband was with Samson.
[10] Shields Daily News, 14 July 1944, p. 8
[11] Ibid p. 8
[11] Shields Daily News, 29 June 1953, p. 4.
[12] Shields Daily News, 26 June 1956, p. 7
[13] Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
[14] Shields Daily News, 26 June 1956, p. 7
[15] Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
[1] There are several different spellings of Steede’s full name.
[2] National Archives medcahttp://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8098569
[3] Hull Daily Mail, 29 April 1921, p. 5
[4] Hull Daily Mail, 29 April 1921, p. 5
[5] Hull Daily Mail, 29 April 1921, p. 5
[6] Hull Daily Mail, 29 April 1921, p. 5
[7] Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010.
[8] Ancestry.com. U.S., Atlantic Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1873 and 1893-1959 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2010.
[9] Mary E. Steede died in North Tyneside in 1988 therefore she was still alive when her husband was with Samson.
[10] Shields Daily News, 14 July 1944, p. 8
[11] Ibid p. 8
[11] Shields Daily News, 29 June 1953, p. 4.
[12] Shields Daily News, 26 June 1956, p. 7
[13] Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
[14] Shields Daily News, 26 June 1956, p. 7
[15] Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.