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Grave of an unknown African I.D. (d.1801): Church of St John the Baptist, Bishop's Castle SY9 5AF In the far corner of the village churchyard in Bishop’s Castle is a grave that stands out from the neat rows of headstones. Set at a different angle to the other graves, it…
George Africanus (c.1763-19 May 1834): Church of St Mary the Virgin, High Pavement, Nottingham NG1 1HN George was born in a village in Sierra Leone in around 1763. The circumstances surrounding his appearance in Wolverhampton three short years later are unknown, although is believed he was probable given as a…
Anthony Williams (c.1807-1836): Holy Trinity Church, Blatherwycke PE8 6YW It is not clear whether Anthony Williams’ headstone still remains, and this uncertainty highlights the importance of discovering and protecting these important memorials. Lake Blatherwycke is the largest manmade lake in the UK, constructed in the18th century for the O’Brien family.…
Charles Bacchus (c.1746-31 March 1762): St Mary's Church, Queens Street, Culworth OX17 2AT In a prominent location close by the southern porch of St Mary’s is an elegant headstone mourning the loss of a young black servant, Charles Bacchus. Charles was a servant to Richard Bond, whose two brothers had…
Augustin Leonard (c.1751-2 Aprl 1793): Ashton Parish Church, Ashton under Lyme Although the inscription is very weathered, a record was made of it in the 1970s. At present, little is known about him. Inscription: Here was interred the body of Augustin Leonard A Blackman A native of the Island of…
Jacob Walker (c.1801-12 August 1841): Old Parish Church of St Mary, Hornsey High Street, London N8 7DU Jacob Walker was the slave and then servant of a Virginian, Harriet Long, and her second husband, George Long, a distinguished British classicist. In 1828, the family moved to London, where Jacob’s legal…
Olaudah Equiano (c.1745-31 March 1797): Grave unknown, but marker in American International Church, 79a Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TD Olaudah Equiano was one of the most prominent voices in the abolitionist movement. His autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African, was…
Rasselas Morjan (c.1820-1839): Our Lady and St Nicholas Church, Church Lane, Wanlip LE7 4PJ In the tiny churchyard in Wanlip, one of the largest and most striking graves is that at Rasselas Morjan, a young former slave from Abyssinia. It’s not clear how he came to Britain, but the inscription…
Edward Juba (c.1724-1774): All Saints, Church Road, Kirkby Mallory LE9 7QE Edward Juba was probably born in Juba, in what is now South Sudan. It is not clear how he came to Britain or when he entered the service of Lord Wentworth of Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire. A baptism record places…
Frances Elizabeth Johnson: Lancaster Priory, Priory Close, Lancaster LA1 1YZ In 1997, a small casket was interred in the memorial garden of Lancaster Priory. It contained a mummified hand, believed to have been that of ‘Fanny’ Johnson, a servant to the Satterthwaite family. A small headstone simply reads ‘F.E.J. 2…