Examining Local History: Hidden Gems
Audrey Dewjee has been researching Black history for many years and involved in exhibitions of Black history around the country. She understands that finding relevant historical information about people of African descent is not necessarily easy or straightforward. Here Audrey offers some historical background on the subject and provides useful suggestions to people who are interested in searching for this kind of material in the local area.
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Background
Because geographically the county of Yorkshire was essentially facing the wrong way for trans-Atlantic trade it is assumed that the area had little to do with slavery and even less to do with British Black History. However, information that I unearthed for previous exhibitions shows just how wrong that belief is. There are plenty of examples of activity such as abolitionists, connections to the slave trade, plantation wealth, and people of African descent settling in North and West Yorkshire and I feel sure there is a rich seam of Black History here too in Hull and East Yorkshire. What should you look for? Images, photographs, illustrations, paintings, public sculpture in towns and on buildings and other works of art are incredibly useful resources. By looking carefully through the pictures in books of local history you might find a person of African descent somewhere in a crowd scene, walking along a street or in a school photograph. Keep a look-out everywhere when you are out and about, because images can turn up in the most unlikely places. Local picture archives, local history collections and old newspapers are other possible sources of images. Speaking to people Friends can be very useful. Tell them what you are searching for and you may be surprised at what they can remember and locate. Individuals often know the whereabouts of pictures or letters, or the most surprising snippets of Black History, so do ask around. |
Portrait of Olaudah Equiano in 'A Tribute for the Negro by Wilson Armistead' 1848.
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Local archives
Local archives are a prime resource for documentary evidence, but old cataloguing systems don’t always turn up the goods. What do you search under? ‘Black’, ‘African’, ‘Slave’, ‘Negro’…? The index won’t always bring up information contained in the archive. This is where the expert assistance of librarians and archivists can be invaluable.
Parish Records are another vital source of information. They can pinpoint where people were located and can sometimes lead to much bigger stories. Parish and other records that local or family historians come across accidentally while searching for something else are another important source and forms are available at the Treasure House in Beverley and Hull History Centre for people to record such finds.
Newspapers
Old newspapers often contain a lot of information – but bear in mind that newspapers thrive on lurid stories. In the past, as now, reporters concentrated on scandals and crimes and their reports could be biased and inaccurate. Ordinary people going about quiet lives are unlikely to be featured, except sometimes in obituaries, although the mention of a person of African descent (their name, family, address etc) can lead to further research in the census and parish records etc.
Country Houses
Stately homes and country houses can be another useful source of information. Occasionally they have an African in the paintings on their walls, and sometimes they have records of Black servants who have lived and worked in the house or on the estate. Many of these houses have their own archived records which may be accessible to the researcher.
Churches
You can also find all kinds of useful information from memorials and plaques in churches. When I was visiting Askrigg Parish Church, I noticed a memorial to Thomas Pratt, captain of the Hibernia. Something made me investigate further and I discovered it was a slave ship. Hibernia made a total of eight slaving voyages between 1785 and 1808, the last four under the captaincy of Thomas Pratt. According to the Slave Voyages database, Hibernia with Thomas as captain embarked 984 Africans and disembarked 885 – 99 people lost their lives en route – so one in ten did not survive these voyages. For more information take a look at: http://www.slavevoyages.org/voyage/search
Background Reading
An understanding of Black history is important and useful for further research. Perhaps the two most important books about British Black History are Staying Power by Peter Fryer and Untold Histories by Kathleen Chater. Further details of these and other useful books can been found on the website: http://www.africansinyorkshireproject.com/other-resources.html
People of African Descent in Hull and East Riding
Adverts in the York Courant newspaper show that some ships from Hull traded directly with Jamaica. These advertisements also reveal that local people were being sought to go and work in Jamaica. We also know from research already done that people of African descent ended up in the East Riding - some of them as slaves.
Indeed, retired slave traders and plantation owners often settled in the area. Some are mentioned on the Legacies of Slave Ownership database https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/ but there were other families involved too – for example the Watt family of Bishop Burton made their money from the slave trade and Jamaican Plantations. There may also have been connections between the Constables of Burton Constable and Dominica, but more research needs to be done to establish this. William Codrington, a West Indian plantation owner, was MP for Beverley from 1747-1761. People who made smaller fortunes also retired to the East Riding, for example James Bean who returned from his Jamaica plantation and settled at Wentworth House in Aldbrough. There is a marble wall tablet to him in the village church. It reads: “James Bean ‘late an eminent planter in Jamaica’ d.1767.” You can also find clues to such people on plaques in churches, often because they paid to build or restore the church or gave donations to parish charities.
Local archives are a prime resource for documentary evidence, but old cataloguing systems don’t always turn up the goods. What do you search under? ‘Black’, ‘African’, ‘Slave’, ‘Negro’…? The index won’t always bring up information contained in the archive. This is where the expert assistance of librarians and archivists can be invaluable.
Parish Records are another vital source of information. They can pinpoint where people were located and can sometimes lead to much bigger stories. Parish and other records that local or family historians come across accidentally while searching for something else are another important source and forms are available at the Treasure House in Beverley and Hull History Centre for people to record such finds.
Newspapers
Old newspapers often contain a lot of information – but bear in mind that newspapers thrive on lurid stories. In the past, as now, reporters concentrated on scandals and crimes and their reports could be biased and inaccurate. Ordinary people going about quiet lives are unlikely to be featured, except sometimes in obituaries, although the mention of a person of African descent (their name, family, address etc) can lead to further research in the census and parish records etc.
Country Houses
Stately homes and country houses can be another useful source of information. Occasionally they have an African in the paintings on their walls, and sometimes they have records of Black servants who have lived and worked in the house or on the estate. Many of these houses have their own archived records which may be accessible to the researcher.
Churches
You can also find all kinds of useful information from memorials and plaques in churches. When I was visiting Askrigg Parish Church, I noticed a memorial to Thomas Pratt, captain of the Hibernia. Something made me investigate further and I discovered it was a slave ship. Hibernia made a total of eight slaving voyages between 1785 and 1808, the last four under the captaincy of Thomas Pratt. According to the Slave Voyages database, Hibernia with Thomas as captain embarked 984 Africans and disembarked 885 – 99 people lost their lives en route – so one in ten did not survive these voyages. For more information take a look at: http://www.slavevoyages.org/voyage/search
Background Reading
An understanding of Black history is important and useful for further research. Perhaps the two most important books about British Black History are Staying Power by Peter Fryer and Untold Histories by Kathleen Chater. Further details of these and other useful books can been found on the website: http://www.africansinyorkshireproject.com/other-resources.html
People of African Descent in Hull and East Riding
Adverts in the York Courant newspaper show that some ships from Hull traded directly with Jamaica. These advertisements also reveal that local people were being sought to go and work in Jamaica. We also know from research already done that people of African descent ended up in the East Riding - some of them as slaves.
Indeed, retired slave traders and plantation owners often settled in the area. Some are mentioned on the Legacies of Slave Ownership database https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/ but there were other families involved too – for example the Watt family of Bishop Burton made their money from the slave trade and Jamaican Plantations. There may also have been connections between the Constables of Burton Constable and Dominica, but more research needs to be done to establish this. William Codrington, a West Indian plantation owner, was MP for Beverley from 1747-1761. People who made smaller fortunes also retired to the East Riding, for example James Bean who returned from his Jamaica plantation and settled at Wentworth House in Aldbrough. There is a marble wall tablet to him in the village church. It reads: “James Bean ‘late an eminent planter in Jamaica’ d.1767.” You can also find clues to such people on plaques in churches, often because they paid to build or restore the church or gave donations to parish charities.
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History and research still to be done
When did the first Black people come to East Yorkshire? If the Romans were here, perhaps they arrived then. The earliest definite date I know is 1598. Miranda Kaufmann who did her recent PhD on African people in Tudor England discovered a woman called Anna who lived here in the household of one Bartholomew Burnett. Anna appears in the tax records for three years until 1600. What happened to her after 1600? Did she die? Did she marry a local man? Did she move away from the area? Was she baptised in Hull? The parish records may tell us a bit more about her. There may have been Black soldiers or army bandsmen stationed in the area from time to time. Pictures of ships and views of the docks may reveal the presence of African sailors or dockers. Hull, being a port and a big city, attracted a lot of passers-through, including many entertainers. Famous names include Olaudah Equiano (known then as Gustavus Vassa) who visited in the eighteenth century. Renowned Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge, who came here many times in the nineteenth century, said that Hull was one of his favourite cities. It was in Hull that he first performed as King Lear and Macbeth – whiting up his face for the roles. Maybe it will be possible to find a poster for one of his appearances in Hull or Beverley. |
Portrait of Thomas Rutling from 'Autobiography, with Revised Negro Melodies by Thomas Rutling, c.1909
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The Fisk Jubilee Singers, tenor Thomas Rutling and, more recently, Paul Robeson have all performed in the East Riding, while Pablo Fanque brought his famous circus to Hull on many occasions. I suspect that quite a lot of other circus performers of African descent performed in this area. There may well be other famous people whose visits give the opportunity to tell their stories in the exhibition and also to discover new details about their time in Hull.
A mixed-race Barbadian, the Rev. Edward Cragg Haynes was vicar of Swinefleet and also ran a school there for many years. The Marshland Local History Group has researched his story.
One woman who was married to a local farmer and lived in Aldbrough was Agnes Foster who, after she was widowed, returned to the West Indies, where she co-founded the Salvation Army in Jamaica. Perhaps it will be possible to discover more information about her, her family and her life in this area.
The two World Wars brought people here and local people joined various forces. No doubt, there would have been a lot of merchant seamen.
In 1920, Hull had its share of the “race” riots that affected many port cities as white sailors returned from war service and wanted to reclaim their jobs from the men who had been recruited during the war. Newspaper reports name some Black residents, so maybe their stories could be followed-up.
During the Second World War, more than 4,000 RAF ground crew recruits received their initial training in the East Riding at what became the Butlin’s holiday camp in Filey. There must still be local people who can remember their presence and some of the airmen may have settled in this area.
Several air crew members were also stationed in the East Riding including Lincoln Lynch and John Blair. Their friend close friend Arthur Wint, a spitfire pilot, visited them in York and also completed a two-week Battle Course with John Blair at Filey. Arthur Wint survived the war, became a surgeon at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London and, many years later, became Jamaican High Commissioner. He also won the first Olympic gold medal for Jamaica at the London Olympics in 1948.
Much of the research on British Black History to-date has been done in London – which means that things we find here in the North will be new and exciting to most people with an interest in the subject. Let’s show the country (and the world) what the North can do!!
A mixed-race Barbadian, the Rev. Edward Cragg Haynes was vicar of Swinefleet and also ran a school there for many years. The Marshland Local History Group has researched his story.
One woman who was married to a local farmer and lived in Aldbrough was Agnes Foster who, after she was widowed, returned to the West Indies, where she co-founded the Salvation Army in Jamaica. Perhaps it will be possible to discover more information about her, her family and her life in this area.
The two World Wars brought people here and local people joined various forces. No doubt, there would have been a lot of merchant seamen.
In 1920, Hull had its share of the “race” riots that affected many port cities as white sailors returned from war service and wanted to reclaim their jobs from the men who had been recruited during the war. Newspaper reports name some Black residents, so maybe their stories could be followed-up.
During the Second World War, more than 4,000 RAF ground crew recruits received their initial training in the East Riding at what became the Butlin’s holiday camp in Filey. There must still be local people who can remember their presence and some of the airmen may have settled in this area.
Several air crew members were also stationed in the East Riding including Lincoln Lynch and John Blair. Their friend close friend Arthur Wint, a spitfire pilot, visited them in York and also completed a two-week Battle Course with John Blair at Filey. Arthur Wint survived the war, became a surgeon at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London and, many years later, became Jamaican High Commissioner. He also won the first Olympic gold medal for Jamaica at the London Olympics in 1948.
Much of the research on British Black History to-date has been done in London – which means that things we find here in the North will be new and exciting to most people with an interest in the subject. Let’s show the country (and the world) what the North can do!!
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