Once located on the corner of Argyle Street and Queen Street - where Primark now stands - towered a grand mansion made of stone from the Black Stone quarry, which was once between St George’s Road and North Woodside Road in North Glasgow. "This is history on our doorstep,” said Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage. Amongst the new listings are some important graves and tombs including the grave of an Unknown African 'I.D.' {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, The stately homes built on the back of slaves, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. Some of Britain's most illustrious stately homes were built or bought with money reaped from slavery, it can be revealed. Act 17 ch. “Some of the buildings in King Street were built as a result of the slave trade.” TRUE. Dr Draper, who helped to compile an internet database of the compensation records, which was launched last Wednesday, added: "It's important to differ- entiate between the kind of connections that existed between slavery and the British country house. Since then, many UK construction companies have reviewed their own businesses and supply chains and published statements about the approach they have taken. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. While Wilberforce is the best known of the abolitionists, there were many others who campaigned against slavery, and it is often the less well-known names that are commemorated in the listed buildings, along with Africans who suffered as a result of the slave trade. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Among the homes linked to the slave compensation payouts is Blairquhan Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland, which was used as a substitute location for Balmoral Castle in the Oscar-winning film The Queen. They quarried limestone, made bricks, and built the house's frame. The Liver Building clocks are the biggest electronically driven clocks in the UK and this is a reminder that the building brings together both traditional and modern elements. Some of our most prized estates were bought with compensation paid to former slave owners after abolition, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. But many are still standing and have either been taken over by the National Trust or remain in private ownership. Records show the house would have been built between 1753 and 1777 for the McCall family. This was the meeting place between 1660 and … CAIRO - 9 June 2020: “Linking building the Great Pyramids to slavery is a comical thing to say,” replied Zahi Hawass to some English newspaper commentary. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Some buildings also remind us of the immense wealth that the slave trade created in British cities and ports.". Government buildings were no exception; and it has been documented that slaves built the U.S. Capitol building, as well as the White House. Image Borris Baggs © English Heritage, “I am pleased to say these new listings reflect this diversity, from prominent campaigners like Thomas Fowell Buxton to the unknown 'native of Africa' commemorated in the graveyard in Shropshire.”. The Museum of London Docklands is surrounded by buildings, streets and statues built with the profits of slavery, in many cases commemorating the owners and traders of enslaved people. As the bicentenary year of the abolition of the slave trade draws to an end, Margaret Hodge, Culture Minister, has announced new protection for 18 historic buildings and monuments linked to the slave trade. Over the generations, the castle has passed down the family to its current owner, Sir Patrick Hunter Blair. Others include West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire, where scenes from Downton Abbey have been shot, and Rookery Hall in Cheshire, the venue where David and Victoria Beckham sealed their engagement in 1997. In 2003, the 300-acre estate was bought by the businessman Sir James Dyson for a reported £20m. Liverpool Town Hall was at the centre of the city's trading activity. Now historical records have been released showing that many of those who received the windfalls ploughed at least some of the cash into buying, building or refurbishing some of the greatest properties in the British countryside. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. He said: "It shows that certainly some country houses were built and refurbished with the proceeds of slavery, and particularly of slave compensation, which provided a substantial influx of capital for landowners in that period. The profits built fashionable townhouses and rural stately homes for the masters of the trade. 12 other buildings have had their listing descriptions amended to ensure their connection with the slave trade and special historic interest is adequately reflected. A memorial to Charles Grey, known as Earl Grey, was erected in the very centre of Newcastle in 1838. Copyright © Culture24 unless otherwise stated.Information published here was believed to be correct at the time of publication. The tomb of James Stephen in the churchyard of the Old St Mary's Church, Stoke Newington has also been listed. Building regulations approval is different from planning permission.You might need both. ROMANIAN slaves with forged construction qualifications were paid £2 a day to build a luxury London flats selling for upwards of £10 million. The map identifies addresses at differing levels of detail. Most construction was done by slaves or free men. Similarly the Tomb of Harriet Long and Jacob Walker in the churchyard of St Mary's Church, Hornsey poses some interesting questions, being unusual in two respects. "Some of the country houses clearly are built by the proceeds of slavery in a very direct way. At the same time, Andrew Hann, senior properties historian at English Heritage, said the database left little doubt that a certain percentage of Britain's country homes were financed by money funnelled into the UK from slavery. Famed Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass said that the commentary of the English newspapers that links casting the statue of a slave trader in the river to the pyramids, supposing they were built by forced labor is a ridiculous matter. "Those linkages have long been hidden from view because it's not in the interests of the owners to promote them publicly," he said. It is a form of organised crime based on profiting from the exploitation of vulnerable people. The Sun’s Stamp Out Slavery campaign can exclusiv… The compensation records show that the second Earl of Harewood, Henry Lascelles, received £26,307, which is equivalent to £19m today, for 1,277 slaves. Jacob was the former slave of Harriet and her husband, and it is rare to find a nineteenth century memorial to a former slave, let alone one that shares his resting place with the woman who once owned him. Others are occupied by slave-owning families for a limited period.". As Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons he was responsible for seeing the act abolishing the African slave trade through parliament. The 150ft Melville Monument in St Andrew Square honours 18th Century politician Henry Dundas, who delayed the abolition of the slave trade. In 1760, the Bristol Bridge Act was carried through parliament by the Bristol MP Sir Jarrit Smyth. Such buildings are testimony to a … Our updated List entries focus on connections with the slave trade, putting these buildings into context. It must be remembered that in the 18th century, during this prolific building period, slavery and the slave trade were legal and completely entwined in the everyday life of the nation. The vast majority of Liverpool’s outstanding buildings were built long after the slave trade was abolished Monday May 03 2010, 2.01am , The Times Monday May 03 2010, 2.01am , The Times You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Dr Hann said that, while the links of Britain's county homes to slave ownership may vary, it is still important that they are historically documented. Sir David Hunter Blair acquired Blairquhan Castle in 1798 and he, too, received a large compensation payout of £3,591, equivalent to £2.6m today, for 198 slaves he laid claim to on a Jamaican plantation. The Romans placed a considerable emphasis in building their buildings extremely fast, usually within two years. Public buildings The prosperity Britain gained from slavery and the commodities produced by enslaved people is demonstrated by many striking civic and commercial buildings. Slavery itself was finally made illegal in 1833 with the Slavery Abolition Act. Image Borris Baggs © English Heritage. Nothing is known for sure about who this 'native of Africa' could be, though there is a record in the burial register of the internment of a John Davies on 12th September. "The database shows who had slave-related property at the time of emancipation, but some landowners had moved out of slavery by the time it was abolished.". "But these records are only the tip of the iceberg because you've got the ongoing benefits with the proceeds of slavery circulating in these country houses for centuries earlier. The wealth that funded them was amassed at a terrible human cost. The Herschel Museum's Slaves to Fashion exhibition, and Number 1 Royal Crescent's Elegance and Exploitation trail looked at how involvement with the slave trade enhanced the luxury of 18th century life in Bath. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Others remain under the ownership of aristocratic families, most famously Harewood House, which is the family seat of the Earl and Countess of Harewood, whose ancestors had strong ties to the slave trade. It has since been developed into a major theme park and is now owned by Mr Leslau, the entrepreneur, who, it is estimated, is worth around £200m. Each address pinpoints a slave-owner or direct beneficiary in a particular place at a specific time. Some of Britain's most illustrious stately homes were built or bought with money reaped from slavery, it can be revealed. The building's frieze shows African faces, elephants, crocodiles and lions representing Liverpool's African trading links. In 1732, John Strachan built Redland Court for John Cossins.It now forms one of the buildings making up Redland High School for Girls. Read our full mailing list consent terms here. The Industrial Revolution would have been impossible without the wealth generated by slave labour. As the bicentenary year of the abolition of the slave trade draws to an end, Margaret Hodge, Culture Minister, has announced new protection for 18 historic buildings and monuments linked to the slave trade. But in truth, Britain gained rather more out of slavery than the retrospective joy of abolishing the trade in slaves, celebrations of which obscure the role rebellious slaves themselves played in their emancipation. The British trade in enslaved African people was ended in 1807, and the legal condition of slavery abolished throughout the British empire in 1833. The other new listings include the tomb of Samuel Lucas and Margaret Bright Lucas in Highgate Cemetery. World Cup 2022: Qatar's workers are not workers, they are slaves, and they are building mausoleums, not stadiums. The Custom House, St Georges Quay, Lancaster where traders paid their taxes. Both were prominent social reformers and campaigners against slavery. The ornamented clock tower conforms to classic architectural principles you’ll see in world architecture, including Islamic architecture, but the mechanism of the clock is pure 20th century. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. These dates are celebrated as the end of a pernicious global system of … Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Modern slavery, which includes forced labour and human trafficking, is embedded in the workings of the global economy. More than 100 country houses and estates across the country benefited from the millions of pounds given in compensation to slave owners in the 19th century. Of these buildings, four are new listings in Hornsey, Camden, Stoke Newington and Bishops Castle, Shropshire and the listings of two in Stroud and Westminster have been upgraded. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Of these buildings, four are new listings in Hornsey, Camden, Stoke Newington and Bishops Castle, Shropshire and the listings of two in Stroud and Westminster have been upgraded. ver. The use of slave labour undoubtedly cut costs and was one of the reasons for the scale of some of the structures. The UK's leading magazine for construction professionals featuring the latest news, expertise and intelligence from the Building industry The IoS revealed last week that when slave ownership was abolished by Britain in 1833 the government paid out a total of £20m – the equivalent of £16.5bn today – to compensate thousands of wealthy families for their loss of "property". ", Additional reporting by Zachary Norman and Louise Fitzgerald. All of Liverpool's mayors between 1787 and 1807 were involved in the slave trade. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home in Charlottesville was built by slaves. Image Borris Baggs © English Heritage. The Grade I-listed Harewood House is still owned by the Lascelles family, who amassed much of their wealth from the slave trade. “These buildings and monuments are the physical reminders of the extraordinary campaign waged by so many people in England, black and white, to end the slave trade. "It is important that we acknowledge all aspects of the slave trade, both the people who campaigned against it and succeeded in bringing about the abolition of slavery, and also the people affected by it, the Africans whose lives were disrupted and destroyed.”, Blaise Castle, Henbury, Bristol, is a gothic folly built by slave trade investor Thomas Farr, so he could climb to the top to watch his ships sailing back up the Avon. It followed a long fought campaign by the abolitionists, headed in parliament by William Wilberforce. These important reminders of an inhuman trade will now join several listed buildings that acknowledge historic links to transatlantic slavery and the abolitionist movement. The Theatre Royal was funded by 50 merchants, of whom at least 12 were slave merchants or slave ship owners, and at least another six were suppliers to the slave ships, plantation owners or sugar traders. "The listing of these buildings is a timely reminder of how England's involvement in the slave trade is reflected in the built environment,” said Margaret Hodge. The headstone on this highly unusual grave has an inscription which reads: 'Here lieth the Body of I.D./A Native of Africa/who died in ths (sic) Town/Sept 9th 1801/God hath made of one Blood, all nations of Men. Others are occupied by slave-owning families for a limited period." In a 2005 exhibit titled “Slavery and the Making of the University: Celebrating Our Unsung Heroes, Bond and Free,” the university displayed historical documents and records showcasing how the institution, founded in 1789, utilized slave labor to erect many early buildings. And some have now passed into the hands of a new elite, including the billionaire inventor of the cyclone vacuum cleaner, Sir James Dyson, and the property tycoon Nick Leslau, who appeared on the Channel 4 programme The Secret Millionaire. Lancaster slave ships carried in excess of 29,000, people out of Africa. Since monuments and memorials to the Transatlantic Slave Trade are in public spaces, archival research was done to ascertain the level of public discourse generated by the memorialization process and how this discourse impacted the process. in St John the Baptist Church, Bishops Castle, Shropshire. The museum itself “is surrounded by buildings, streets and statues built with the profits of slavery, in many cases commemorating the owners and traders of enslaved people”, the site adds. A number of the homes have since been lost to the ravages of time or destroyed in one of the world wars. One of the estates included in the database, which would later be named Alton Towers, was owned by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, the 2nd Earl of Talbot, who received £4,660 – equivalent to £3.4m today when calculated using an index of average earnings – for the 543 slaves he owned. Stephen was a lawyer and anti-slavery campaigner who was a close associate of William Wilberforce both in work and family life. 26'. Without intending to tarnish the reputation of the British country house, this book is an important milestone in redressing the fact that the heritage sector has been slow to recognise these historical links. Often the evidence is fragmentary, we don't know when they moved to that address or when they left it but we have found a source – a census, a letter, a directory, a land tax record – for a portion of their stay. Thirsk Institute, as it is known today, was built as a public reading room by Sir William Payne-Gallwey in 1848. "Some of the country houses clearly are built by the proceeds of slavery in a very direct way. In order to reveal a fuller story of England's history, English Heritage started a project in 2006 to review listed buildings and acknowledge historic links to transatlantic slavery and the abolitionist movement. British cities such as London, Bristol, Glasgow and Liverpool grew as the slave colonies became … But, according to Nick Draper, an academic from University College London, the financial benefits channelled to country piles through slavery compensation varied widely. The 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act outlawed the slave trade throughout the British Empire and made it illegal for British ships to be involved in the trade. As a partner of Baring Brothers bank, Alexander also profited from the expansion of slavery across the American South through funding of the Louisiana Purchase in … The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. "We don't want to suggest that country homes have been built completely off the back of slavery, but, from another perspective, we must not try to conceal an important aspect of the way a country house is founded. The bank was formed by slave traders and, after being merged with others, went on to become the NatWest. Time to face up: Modern slavery in the construction industry - Designing Buildings Wiki - Share your construction industry knowledge. The Guildhall, Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HH epitomises the involvement of London in the transatlantic slave trade. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Image Borris Baggs © English Heritage. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Decisions on the listings have been taken following advice from English Heritage, the Government's expert advisors on the built environment. 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