Justice? the Treatment of Black People in Bristol

Schools Learning Zone Justice? The treatment of black people in Bristol Harry Gandy tried to intervene. Historians do not know what happened to ACTIVITIES Bristol Slavery Trail Harper. page 1 of 7 Justice? The treatment of black people in Bristol Today we may find it very difficult to understand how someone could This activity provides an opportunity to explore themes of ‘fairness’ and kidnap and enslave another person, although there are millions of people ‘justice’, and could be used to explore whether the law can be flexible or in modern forms of slavery. This group of activities explores different not in this example. Activity Sheet 1b provides a simplified, modern issues relating to justice – in terms of law and fairness. version of the story. In the 18th century, members of Christian religious group ‘The Religious Source 2 recounts how a woman was assisted to fight against injustice, Society of Friends’ or ‘Quakers’ owned land and traded with Britain's after an attempt was made to kidnap her and force her back to work on a Caribbean and America Colonies. Some traded in or used slaves from plantation. She made a spirited break for freedom, and managed to gain Africa. This went against the Quaker belief that every person is of equal support in Bristol. Again, this raises the possibility of looking at fairness value to God, and from 1760 the Quakers began to oppose the slave trade and human rights. and the ownership of slave plantations.

Harry Gandy was a Quaker. He had been a slave ship captain before he went to Bristol to campaign against the trade. He helped campaigner Thomas Clarkson find out about what happened on Bristol slave ships. Gandy wrote about the trade and tried to help black people in Bristol, including a young Caribbean seaman, called Harry Harper, who was about to be forced back into slavery in 1796. Harper could not read, but was forced to put his cross on a document which took away his freedom.

In the letter to Grenville Sharp, Gandy describes what happened to Harper. Harry Harper had sailed from Dominica on the ship Levant, and was imprisoned in Newgate Prison, Bristol. Harry Gandy went to visit Harper in prison with Thomas Mills. The value, and reliability, of witnesses also emerges in both stories.

The sources Source 1 recounts the story of an imprisoned African, Harry Harper, who had been cheated into signing his name on a document which stated he had agreed to work for no pay, only for food and clothes. A Quaker called

www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools © University of London You may photocopy this sheet ACTIVITIES Bristol Slavery Trail page 2 of 7 Justice? The treatment of black people in Bristol forcibly directed his hand to make a cross, on the parchment before the Source 1a Harry Harper makes his mark mate and another person whom we afterwards found was the owner's clerk. Harry Gandy was a Quaker. He had been a slave ship captain before he went to Bristol to campaign against the trade. In 1796, he visited This is the tale of Harry Harper, who seems a simple-minded sensible Bristol’s Newgate Prison and met a young Caribbean seaman called young man, tho' an African born.’ Harry Harper, who was about to be forced back into slavery. Harper could not read, but was forced to put his cross on a document which took away his freedom.

Letter from Harry Gandy to Grenville Sharp, 4 August 1796:

‘Captain Alleyn of the ship Levant, arrived about 15 days ago from Dominca and brought with him a young man of colour named Harry Harper, who is now in Newgate under an Arrest at the Captain's Suit for £10 and upwards.

The knowledge whereof led, me with Thomas Mills (another of the anti- slavery committee here) to visit the young man in prison, who told us he had a very severe Master in Dominico and being acquainted with one of Captain Alleyne's sailors, he got, with his cloaths, through his assistance privately on board and concealed himself there so that the Captain knew nothing of the matter till they had been 2 or 3 days at Sea from the island; when the Captain ordered him on deck, and to work as one of the sailors, which he ways he performed, even to going aloft day and night, with all diligence and that during the passage, which was about 34 days, he messed with the sailors but never drank anything stronger than water, that 2 days after they arrived in Kingroad, the Captain with some other gentlemen came on board, when the Captain called him into the cabin, and took a piece of parchment and told him he must sign it to which Harry Harper said, no Captain, for I can neither read nor write, and therefore, he said, he could not do it.

To this the Captain said he must make his mark, and that he would teach him to write, and thereupon took him by the wrist of his right arm, and

www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools © University of London You may photocopy this sheet ACTIVITIES Bristol Slavery Trail page 3 of 7 Justice? The treatment of black people in Bristol

Source 1b The captain said he must sign with a cross and that he would teach Harry Harper makes his mark him to write, and took him by the wrist of his right arm and forced his hand to make a cross with the ship’s mate and the clerk of the ship Harry Gandy was a Quaker. He had been a slave ship captain before he owner as witnesses. This is the story of Harry Harper, who seems a went to Bristol to campaign against the trade. In 1796, he visited simple-minded sensible young African Man. Bristol’s Newgate Prison and met a young Caribbean seaman called Harry Harper, who was about to be forced back into slavery. Harper could not read, but was forced to put his cross on a document which took away his freedom.

Letter from Harry Gandy to Grenville Sharp, 4 August 1796 (modern version):

Captain Alleyn, of the ship Levant, arrived about 15 days ago from Dominca, and brought with him a young black man called Harry Harper, who is now in Newgate Prison under arrest on a charge of owing the captain more than ten pounds.

I visited the prison with Thomas Mills, who is a member of the anti-slavery committee here. We saw the young man, Harry Harper, who told us he had a very severe master on the island of Dominico. He got to know one of Captain Alleyne's sailors, and stowed away (hid) onboard the ship.

The ship’s captain knew nothing of this, until they had been at sea for two or three days. When he found out, the captain ordered Harper on deck to work as a sailor – in order to pay for his passage. Harper did this (he even went up the rigging ropes day and night), and worked hard for about 34 days of the journey. He slept where the other sailors slept, but never drank anything other than water.

Two days after the ship arrived at the Port of Kingroad, the captain and some other gentlemen came on board. Harper was called into the captain’s cabin, and given a piece of parchment to sign. But Harper refused because he cannot read or write.

Activity 1 Task 2 Harry Harper makes his mark Historians do not know what happened to Harry Harper. Write down what you think happened to Harper after Harry Gandy tried to Task 1 intervene. True or false? Decide whether the statements below are true or false. Make a tick under ‘true’ or ‘false’ to give your answer.

Statement True False

Harry Harper had a kind master in Dominica.

Harry Harper hid on the ship.

Harry Harper did not take anything with him from Dominica.

The ship took 100 days to sail from Dominica to Bristol.

Harry Harper drank beer and ate with the sailors.

Harry Harper could read and write.

The captain forced Harry Harper to sign the parchment.

Task 3

www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools © University of London You may photocopy this sheet ACTIVITIES Bristol Slavery Trail page 5 of 7 Justice? The treatment of black people in Bristol What types of historical documents could you use to check if you were right about what happened Harry Harper?

Source 2 Dinah’s Story

www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools © University of London You may photocopy this sheet ACTIVITIES Bristol Slavery Trail page 6 of 7 Justice? The treatment of black people in Bristol Based on an account in the letters of Hannah More to Horace Walpole, Britain. After a court case in 1772, 'The Somerset Case' and 'Mansfield c1790. Judgement' ruled that any slave who was brought to Britain could not be forced to go back to serve on the plantations. Although the case did not ‘My name is Dinah and I have been a servant to my master in Bristol for free slaves in Britain, it did send signals to slaveholders that their rights to some years. He told me he wanted to ship me out to the West Indies to own and control other humans were beginning to be challenged – at least work on the plantations. I cried when I heard what he had done. I cried, on the British mainland. and I ran away. I hid in the top of a house, but when the men found me they dragged me out. I fought them and screamed for help. The people in the street seemed upset for me. In reality, many masters ignored this judgement and got away with it – few slaves had the education or the money to challenge their masters in court. One lady said my tears fell down my face like rain. She was upset, but like Black people brought to Britain were often unable to leave the service of all the other nice people, she didn’t want to interfere, so I was put on a their masters as they would have no place to live. ship bound for Jamaica. The ship I was on sailed up the river Avon and stopped for awhile near Portishead. When we were docked, the men took However, in some cases, the treatment of black slaves was often so poor away my shoes but I still managed to sneak off the ship. I hid in the woods that they ran away from their masters. A number of cases of abuse and until dark and walked miles and miles back to Bristol. cruelty by slave owners were used by the campaigners as propaganda against the slave trade. Black writers, like Mary Prince and Oladuah The people called Quakers have taken me in, they gave me food and Equiano, caused a sensation with their personal accounts of what slavery clothes and said that it was against the law what my mistress did. They had been like for them. said since 1772, people like myself cannot be forced to go abroad if they don’t wish it. I hope they can help me. Life on the plantations is horrible. I do not want to go there.’

Task 4 If you could interview Dinah, what would you ask her about her life? Background Information

Dinah was a woman who had been a slave, and had been brought to