Sources for Black History

Sources for Black & Asian History at the City of Westminster Archives Centre from The authentic history of the Cato Street conspiracy (1820) by George Theodore Wilkinson sources for black & asian history at the city of westminster archives centre ARCHIVES First published in 2005 by Westminster City Archives 10 St Ann's Street LONDON SW1P 2DE W: www.westminster.gov.uk/archives E: [email protected] Sources for Black & Asian history at the City of Westminster Archives Centre Edited by Rory Lalwan © Westminster City Archives 2005 ISBN: 1900893150 4 Contents Introduction 7 1 Illustrations 9 16th Century 9 17th Century 10 18th Century 11 19th Century 13 20th century 19 2 Theatre Programmes and Playbills 23 3 Parish Registers: Baptisms 29 Holy Trinity, Marylebone Road 29 St Anne, Soho 29 St Clement Danes 29 St George’s Chapel, Mayfair 31 St George Hanover Square 32 St James Piccadilly 35 St James, Sussex Gardens, Paddington 38 St John Smith Square 38 St Margaret’s Westminster 38 St Martin-in-the-Fields 42 St Mary-le-Strand 44 St Marylebone 44 St Paul, Covent Garden 47 St Stephen’s Rochester Row 48 Wells Street Scotch Church 48 4 Parish Registers: Marriages 49 St Anne, Soho 49 St George’s Chapel, Mayfair 49 St George Hanover Square 49 St James Piccadilly 49 St Margaret’s Westminster 49 St Martin-in-the-Fields 49 5 Parish Registers: Burials 51 Paddington 51 St Anne, Soho 51 St George Hanover Square 51 St James Piccadilly 51 St John Smith Square 51 St Margaret’s Westminster 51 St Martin-in-the-Fields 52 St Marylebone 52 St Paul Covent Garden 52 6 Parish Records 53 St Anne, Soho 53 St George Hanover Square 55 St James Piccadilly 55 St Margaret Westminster 56 St Martin-in-the-Fields 56 7 Directories 65 8 Periodicals & newspapers 67 9 Institutions, clubs & societies 71 10 Military & armed bodies 75 11 Business records 77 12 Letters, diaries, family papers 81 13 Passenger list for the Empire Windrush 87 14 Select book list 95 15 Internet Sites 103 6 INTRODUCTION his handlist of sources for Black and Asian history at Westminster Archives T is far from exhaustive: it is a work in progress. Some of the sources described are given detailed treatment, for example, the listing of events relating to Black and Asian people in pre-twentieth century Westminster parish registers is nearly complete; for other sources, no more than pointers to their potential usefulness are given. Nevertheless, we hope the listing will show the number and variety of sources available, not only at Westminster, but at many British local authority record offices and local studies libraries. Some contextual notes are provided and some documents are transcribed in their entirety - but the work remains a listing. A select book list and a list of internet sites offer suggestions for setting the material in broader historical contexts. The primary aim is to list documents relating to the Black and Asian presence in Westminster. But it includes too material relating to the experience and representation of other peoples of non-European descent, and notes sources relating to British imperialism and to the home front of empire. Three classes of material are particularly worthy of note and invite further research: Westminster parish registers and records; the Westminster theatre collection; and the deposited records of Westminster institutions, societies, and businesses. The Archives Centre is designated by the Bishop of London as the official repository for ecclesiastical records of the pre-1965 City of Westminster. The Westminster parish registers and records are one, if not the major strength of the Centre. Over 900 baptisms, marriages, and burials of individuals of African or Asian descent are noted here, primarily from the eighteenth century, but including earlier and later events. Complimenting these are parish poor law and petty sessions records relating to Black and Asian people. The poor law settlement examinations are an especially strong and informative source, commonly providing stark biographies of the examinants. The Archives Centre theatre collection comprises several thousand playbills, programmes, portraits, news cuttings, and illustrations relating to the West End and other London theatres. It is the largest collection of its kind held in a public library. Although some seventeenth, and more eighteenth century, playbills are represented, the collection is mainly comprised of nineteenth century programmes and playbills and twentieth century programmes. References to and depictions of non-European peoples are commonplace in the nineteenth century playbills - references and depictions which expansively evidence prejudice and racism - but on occasions too celebrating Black and Asian talent and achievement. The theatre collection also amply illustrates opinions and beliefs which informed British imperialism. 7 sources for black & asian history at westminster city archives Deposited records at the Centre include the records of numerous Westminster, businesses, schools, institutions, clubs, and societies. The records offer several opportunities for the study of British imperialism and the domestic front of Empire. he handlist owes its origin, and in part its content, to the imagination and T industry of the former education officer at Westminster Archives, Dr Jill Barber. She began the study of Black history in Westminster Archives, writing a teachers' resource, Hidden Lives, for use in Westminster schools and curating an exhibition on the Black presence in Westminster (viewable online at: www.westminster.gov.uk/archives). The handlist would not exist without her effort and example. Most of the entries have been provided by users of the Westminster archives service and by its friends and staff. Often what, in the course of research, they have happened to turn up. The listings of baptisms, marriages and burials of non-European people in Westminster have been contributed, almost entirely, by family historians researching at the Centre. Next to our microform readers have sat, for the past five years, forms asking users to note any events in the parish registers that involve non-Europeans. The response has not disappointed: almost daily we find a batch of forms having been returned to the enquiry desk. Thanks are due to the friends of the Archives engaged in the St Martin-in-the Fields settlement examinations indexing project - for submitting entries relating to non-Europeans. Particular thanks are to Eve Perry for transcribing the text of the examinations. My colleague Llinos Thomas has supplied a continous stream of references from new local studies acquisitions; similarly, Adrian Autton has noted relevant archival deposits. Rory Lalwan 8 illustrations 1. ILLUSTRATIONS Illustrations: 16th century 1511 [Black trumpeter at the Westminster Tournament, coloured photographic copy of original in College of Arms, Queen Victoria St, London EC4V 4BT/]; [EO - Illustrations A-BE] The image is the earliest known image of a person of African descent living in London. John Blanc first appears in the records in 1507 as a musician at the court of Henry VII and paid 8d a day. In the image, he is seen at a tournament to celebrate the birth of a son to King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The scene is an extract from a parchment roll held at the College of Arms. Burial of Margaret, a Moor, 1571: this entry from the burial reigster of St Martin in the Fields is the earliest known reference to a black woman living in Westminster 9 sources for black & asian history at westminster city archives Illustrations: 17th Century 1660 [Coronation of Charles II – black trumpeter] [Gardner Box 55/60B] C17th? James II throwing the Great Seal of England into the Thames, near Whitehall; [black waterman rowing];[Gardner Box 10/34b] C17th Martin’s Best Virginia at the King and Still, Coventry Street, near the Hay market; [advertisement showing a black slave]; [Broadley/H/1/p588] 10 illustrations Illustrations: 18th Century 1735 His Royal Highness George Prince of Wales [the future George III on horseback with African at his feet];[Gardner Box 69, No.18] 1737 A monument for Tom K-G; [Black Betty at Tom King’s Coffee House, Covent Garden]; [Gardner Box 29/11] 1738 Noon. Invented, painted and engraved by William Hogarth, 1738; [thought to depict Hog Lane, Westminster, St Giles in the Fields is visible in the background; the print includes a depiction of a black man kissing and holding the breasts of a woman who carries a pie];[Gardner Box 7 No 2a] 1768 Carlisle House, Mr Cornelys; [black man dressed as harlequin at one of Mrs Cornelys’s masquerades at Carlisle House, Soho Square]; [A132.1/15] 1768 A view of the dresses at the late masquerade given by the King of Denmark; [black man dressed as harlequin]; [A132.1/33] 1776 From Soho; [black woman fashionably dressed, probably seen at one of Mrs Cornelys’s masquerades at Carlisle House, Soho Square]; [A132.1/61] 1776 Mrs Frith bo[ught] of Thos. Adams [an itemised bill headed with an engraving of a black women and two black children in African (?) dress holding a parasol over the women's head]; [L135 (44)] c1780 [Colour Court, St James's Palace, changing the guard - showing black military musicians]; [Gardner Box 36, No.25] 11 sources for black & asian history at westminster city archives 1782 [Farthing Pie House Gate, Marylebone Turnpike; William Earl of Bessborough on horseback at end of Great Portland Street distributing alms to poor people who include a black beggar; drawing for oil painting, published 1790] [Ashbridge 334.91] 1787 The poor blacks going to their settlement; [Broadley/ BP/1/p138] A caricature of the Prince of Wales and his supporters. They are depicted as impoverished blacks on their journey to re-settlement in Sierra Leone. 'Repatriation’ to Sierra Leone, 1787: many black loyalists who came to Britain after her defeat in the American War of Independence found themselves destitute on the streets of London.

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