Over the years, studies/books on slavery/enslavement have focused mainly on the Black Atlantic, whereas the system was in force widely in China, India, Russia, and other countries until the 19^th century, even in early the 20^th. European nations seemed to have been the first to abolish the practice among their own people, but went on to hold millions of other nationals in bondage.

Yet, when the word ‘slaves’ or ‘slavery’ is mentioned most people think of Africans. This would not have been so if historians recorded the system as a worldwide disgrace, a crime against humanity. It was Africa and Africans who were focused on, to the general exclusion of the other nations who continued to enslave their own people. Africans were/are still stigmatised, and made to be perennially ashamed or pitied. African and African Caribbean children at school are often made to feel uncomfortable during lesson on the subject. Most of them would opt out of such classes if they could. This would not be so if teachers present the subject as global disgrace, in a similar way as the children learn of human trafficking today.

That is why I am not happy about the National Maritime Museum’s material called ‘Understanding Slavery Initiative’. The material, widely available in schools, is about Africa and Africans, as though the system did not exist in a similar way among other nations. The material should be re-written with a wider remit that justifies the title (USI).

In a similar way the International Slavery Museum (ISM) in Liverpool gives the wrong message. It deliberately focuses on Africa and Africans to the exclusion of pre 20^th century slavery and the slave trade within other nations. There were plantations, etc in those countries also, and conditions were just as brutal. The ISM name is highly misleading.

The truth of slavery and the slave trade in India has been covered up for too long. There are descendants today who can tell you a great deal of how their ancestors have suffered and died under the system, but their voices are ignored. Their history is silenced.

Britain had control of India, but had ignored slavery there until British abolitionists lobbied for change in the late 1820s and in the 1830s. That movement must be given much credit for the work done, and which continued into the 20^th century.

English Heritage has a key role to play, as we can learn much from each other histories, and be better people because of it.

Dear Arthur,

This is a very good point. I hope this sort of topic might come out in discussion during the conference, if not in any of the papers. It is certainly an under-researched subject. We have discussed how we might take the research agenda forward after the conference, and this one avenue that we could pursue. I’m certain there would be lots of our sites with strong connections to British India though I don’t believe any detailed research has been done in this area as yet.

Best wishes,

Andrew

Dr Andrew Hann

Senior Properties Historian

1 Waterhouse Square

138-142 Holborn

London EC1N 2ST

Tel: 020 79733560

-----Original Message-----
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of arthur torrington
Sent: 05 May 2009 15:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Conference 21st Nov

The next piece of research and conference for EH would be to find out which British castles, mansions, etc were built from the wealth earned by those who invested and had businesses in British India, where Indian slaves and those of low caste often worked to death to make millions for the rich there and the investors Britain. We seldom hear of the names of such rich people, whereas we hear of the Beckfords, et al. Compared with the proportionately small number of Africans who were forcibly taken to India mainly by the Arabs, the local Indian slaves numbered over 10 million.

Arthur

Date: Tue, 5 May 2009 09:52:06 +0100
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Conference 21st Nov
To: [log in to unmask]

Dear Marika,

I attach below a full list of the speakers and their paper titles. I hope the conference will provide a forum to discuss the whole range of linkages between slavery and the British country house including the income estates acquired from slave-generated wealth in all its forms, the slavery-related aesthetics in the design of country houses and their grounds, involvement in abolition debates on either side of the argument, and the continued impact of slavery on the country house after abolition.

Best wishes,

Andrew

1. Professor James Walvin (Professor (Emeritus) of History, University of York) 'Slavery and the Slave Trade: the view from Yorkshire, Harewood House and After'.

2. Professor Simon D. Smith, (Professor of Modern History and Diaspora Studies University of Hull), 'St. Vincent's topographical heritage and its links with British country house owners', (2 nights)

3. Dr. Jane Longmore (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Southampton Solent University) 'Rural Retreats: Liverpool merchants and the British Country House',

4.Dr. Nuala Zahedieh,(Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh) 'Normanton Hall: the country life of Gilbert Heathcote, merchant and slaver of empire,' Department of History, Classics, and Archaeology,

5 Professor Roger Leech (Visiting Professor at the Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton), 'Bristol and Nevis: changing places'

6.Dr. Nick Draper (Senior Lecturer, UCL) 'Measuring the extent of rentier slave-ownership in Britain: the Slave Compensation records as evidence',

7. Dr. Caroline Bressey (UCL) 'Rural heritage and the rise of the right: contesting the political legacy of slavery in Britain's country houses'

8. Dr. Natalie Zacek ((Lecturer in History , Manchester) 'Illuminating and Obscuring Slavery at the Codrington Sites in England and the West Indies,', (2 nights)

9. Cliff Pereira (Independent Scholar and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society) 'The London Borough of Bexley's Stately homes and their hidden historical links to the East and West Indies'

10.Victoria Perry (who will have completed her doctorate at the Bartlett School of Architecture by the end of 2008) 'Slavery, Sugar and the Sublime: the Atlantic trade and the eighteenth century fashion for landscape tourism',

11. Susanne Seymour & Sheryllynne Haggerty (University of Nottingham) ‘Property - attitudes to slaves, land and trade’

12. Laurence Brown (Manchester University) ‘Atlantic slavery and classical culture at Marble Hill and Northington Grange’ -

13. Madge Dresser (UWE) ‘Slavery and Country Houses in the West of England’

Dr Andrew Hann

Senior Properties Historian

1 Waterhouse Square

138-142 Holborn

London EC1N 2ST

Tel: 020 79733560

-----Original Message-----
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Marika Sherwood
Sent: 05 May 2009 08:52
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Conference 21st Nov

It is a relief to hear that the source of wealth of the ‘great houses’ will be addressed at this conference. I trust that involvement in the trade in enslaved Africans and in slavery will be interpreted broadly. British traders, manufacturers, bankers, shipbuilders, insurers, et al continued their involvement in both after the passing of the 1807 and 1833 Acts. Slavery was not abolished in the Americas till the 1880s and in Africa till the 1920s; I am not sure when a meaningful Act was passed in India, which was specifically excluded from the 1833 Act; one book alleges there were c. 86 million enslaved there.

From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of HANN, Andrew
Sent: 04 May 2009 20:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Conference 21st Nov

Dear Marika,

Yes, the conference aims to address just this issue. English Heritage has also commissioned two researchers to conduct in-depth studies into the slavery connections of four of our properties: Bolsover Castle, Brodsworth Hall, Northington Grange and Marble Hill House. The finding of this research will be presented at the conference in November.

Best wishes,

Andrew

Dr Andrew Hann

Senior Properties Historian

020 7973 3560

From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Marika Sherwood [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 May 2009 17:45
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Conference 21st Nov

Dear Andrew Hann,

Is there any undertaking by English Heritage and the National Trust to research the source of the wealth of the ‘great houses’ and the treatment of the servants, Black and White?

Marika Sherwood

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