I promised to return to posting more – if simplified- articles based on my historical research. As it’s Black History Month I thought I would start with five facts about Black Georgians.
The above portrait is of Ignatius Sancho – a former slave, grocer, writer, abolitionist, and the first Black man to vote in a British parliamentary election.
- There were an estimated 20,000 people of African origin in Britain during the period between 1700 and 1830. There had been a Black presence in Britain for centuries before that, but the 18th century saw a decided spike in the Black population, mostly in the larger cities.
- Black Georgians were not just servants or former slaves. Some did continue to work in domestic service for their former masters as paid employees, while others made their way in the world as musicians, composers, publicans, poets, writers, grocers, abolitionists, and sportsmen, to name but a few. Some were foreign freemen; soldiers or seamen who chose to settle in Britain. British-born freemen sought education and became businessmen with private incomes.
- Interracial marriage was accepted. Black males made up eighty per cent of the Black population, so it was more common for Black males to marry white females.
- Regardless of position or rank, there was a definite feeling of alienation and most will have experienced prejudice every day. Unlike the Victorians with their pseudo-scientific racism, the Georgians focused on using Christianity, civility, and rank, as a means of judgement and oppression.
- It is estimated that two to three million people in Britain today have a Black Georgian ancestor.
If you want to read more about black women in Georgian Britain, check out this post.
Sources
Before Windrush: The Black Georgians
Love Lambeth: The Black Georgians
This is a interesting post by the way. I am going to go ahead and save this article for my sister to read later on tomorrow. Keep up the fine work.