Continued from:
http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.com/2020/11/african-lives-in-north-east-part-3.html
Under Fire. Black Britain in Wartime 1939-1945
In this book published by The History Press, historian of Black Britain Stephen Bourne includes detail from David A. Vaughan’s biography of Harold Moody, the founder of the League of Coloured Peoples. Moody visited Newcastle in 1941 where there was a group of Africans who had been stranded there at the beginning of the War, and who ‘were often lonely and unhappy because of their feeling of isolation from the social life of the community.’ He met a group of eleven representatives including the Nigerian community leader Charles Minto. The group derived much benefit and encouragement from Moody’s visit.’ (Bourne. p. 208). Stephen also discusses Cummings in his other book Fighting Proud. The Untold Story Of The Gay Men Who Served in Two World Wars (Bloomsbury. 2019)
Another student at Newcastle University mentioned
by Stephen was the sister of the
Nigerian RAF pilot Peter Thomas’s sister. (p.150)
Path’s Across The
Water
Internet searching about
Charles Minto led me to the Old Low Light Heritage and
Community Centre’s website Paths Across Waters based on its 2017
exhibiiton, on which are three important
essays by the African American historian Vanessa Mongey: A Home Away from Home: The West Indies
House, 1941-1945; Students on the Tyne: The Colonial Students' Club in Newcastle;
and Spaces of
solidarity: the International Coloured Mutual Aid Association and the Colonial
House in North Shields; and Challenging
Racism and imperialism: Celestine Edwards in Sunderland.
These are rich in detail
including about Robert Wellesley Cole and his sister Irene, and Koi Obuadabang Larbi from the Gold Coast, a 28 years old barrister, who had
studied law at King’s College (today's Newcastle University), ‘but
suspended his career to devote his time and energy to the West Indies House. He
was the first Black man to hold the appointment of missioner in the British
Sailor’s Society.’
https://pathswaters.wixsite.com
Henry ‘Box’ Brown
Henry ‘Box’
Brown was an escaped slave from America who campaigned in Britain for support
of emancipation in the United States
from November 1850 to March 1875. In her book Henry Box Brown. From Slavery to Show Business (McFarland. 2020) historian
of Black Britain Kathleen (Kathy) Chater records details about his visit to
Newcastle, the Shields, Hartlepool and Darlington in October and November 1852,
citing reports in the local press (pp. 82-84.) She also mentions that what
looks like the final lecture given in 1865 by James Watkins was in Milfield, nr.
Berwick.(p. 53)
Football's
Black Pioneers
On 12 November Bill Hern and
David Gleave launched their book Football's Black Pioneers about the first black players to represent each of 92
English Football League and English Premier League clubs. They include: Arthur
Wharton, Middlesbrough’s Lindy Delapenha (1950), Sunderland’s Roly Gregoire
(1978) and Newcastle’s Howard Gayle.
They also have a website at
https://footballs-black-pioneers.com
Arthur Wharton was
subject of an article in Newcastle
Evening Chronicle on 1 October.
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/black-history-blm-north-east-19014776
Clara Jarrett and James Emanuel Brown
The authors of Football's
Black Pioneers also
have a website on which they are posting stories about individuals of African
heritage in Britain. There is an entry of these two Jamaicans who married in
Newcastle in 1944, he living at 8 Louvain Terrace near Blyth, and she at the
Young Women’s Christian Association in Saville Rd in North Shields.
Jacques M’Bondo and Birtley
The same site
includes a sketch about Jacques M’Bondo. the African born in the Belgian Congo.
He fought for the Belgian Army in the First World War. On 2 January 1918 he was
transferred to the Belgian run munitions factory at Birtley, but died on 28th
of pneumonia.
Albert
Harper
The grand nephew of Annie
Talbot contacted me about her husband’s father. In 1914 Annie married Albert Harper in Chesterfield.
They had a daughter Loyce Doreen Harper born in Stockton on Tees in 1915.
Details about Albert’s father Rev. Thomas Greathead Harper (probably from
Demerara) is on a blog that cites material I came across about his lecturing in
land issues in Croydon in the First World War. Albert lived most of his life in
Chesterfield. I wonder why they were and how long they were in Stockton. I am
waiting further information.
A Liverpool-Haggerston Castle Connection
A web site about Walton Hall in
Liverpool tells us that it was owned by the slave trader Thomas Leyland. It
mentions that its grand entrance was situated in Haggerston Rd which may have
come from the Castle in Northumberland which was part of the Leyland Estates. It
was inherited by Thomas Naylor, a Liverpool banker. It is a complex story which
is worth researching, starting with John Marwick’s posting at
www.leightonnews.com/2013/the-history-of-the-naylor-family-of-leighton-hall
http://lostliverpool.blogspot.com/2009/02/where-was-walton-hall.html
Other Liverpool Connections
One of the key
elements of slavery and abolition were the family, religious and business
networks, and landownership in various parts of the country. The 1826 and 1827
election Poll Books for Newcastle and Northumberland include voters who lived
in Liverpool who owned property and land, giving them the right to vote.
· Tinley Thomas of Walton, who is also listed in
Gore’s Directory of Liverpool for 1834
as a ship broker and general agent
· George Kent who owned property in Tynemouth
What can be found
out about any slavery business activities they were involved with in Liverpool?
People Living Today
The calendar group
took the decision not to include people who are still alive. If we are to understand
the black experience over the decades we need to research, interview and record
the reminiscences of those who are still alive and encourage them to write. We
know about David Olusoga’s experience growing up in Gateshead, and Chris
Mullard’s as Newcastle Community Relations Officer. A list needs to be compiled which would include
for example Lance Gibbs (Sunderland cricketer). The North East Labour History
Society’s guides to archive researching and oral history are useful toolkits.
http://nelh.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Archive.pdf
http://nelh.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Oral_History.pdf
Durham
Miners
The cover of Dave
Temple’s Durham Miners Association 150 Years of Struggle, has a picture of the
national Union of Mineworkers Durham Area Dean and Chapter Lodge on the cover.
The pamphlet is jointly published by the DMA and Labour Heritage. Copies can be ordered from Labour Heritage @ £1.50
per copy incl. p&p (reduction for multiple orders) at labourheritage45@btinternet.com
Details about the banner and the DMA’s anti-racism policies can be read
at
www.durhamminers.org/international_solidarity
Richard Burgon, MP, discusses the banner in
the context of socialist culture at
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/arts-are-the-lifeblood-of-the-struggle
Northumberland Collections put on an exhibition
about black miners in the North East during this year’s Black History Month.
It included details about Lincoln Cole in
Nottinghamshire who was Newcastle United’s Andy Coles father.
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/andy-coles-dad-black-miners-19143172
There is a national Black Miners Museum project at:
The
State of British Black History Early 2020
Interest in British Black History has escalated
since the murder of George Floyd in the USA and the world wide support for
Black Lives Matters. My assessment of the state of BBH at the beginning of the
year in four parts can be seen starting at:
http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.com/2020/02/reflections-on-current-state-of-british.html
The amount of work being carried out in the North East
and elsewhere has been partly stimulated by the Black Lives Matter movement,
building on past work. What is clear is that there is fragmented partial
networking, and a need for an umbrella group to develop further work, improve
dissemination and avoid unnecessary duplication. A lot of what is thought to be
hidden is not; just lack of knowledge about it.
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