Studying Black History

Chris from East Suffolk u3a runs the History 4 Fun Group and used to run a British Black History Group. This Black History Month, Chris shares some of the hidden history he and his group uncovered in their investigations, and offers some resources to those wanting to learn more. 

Uncovering local history

Doing talks for the History 4 Fun Group at my u3a, I researched Thomas Clarkson, a prominent abolitionist, who is buried less than four miles from where I live in the village of Playford, near Woodbridge. He was a friend of William Wordsworth, and he then sparked my interest in other abolitionists. After several different talks I realised how much we were missing about Black history.

After watching David Olusoga’s BBC TV programme Black and British and reading Miranda Kauffman’s Black Tudors I began to realise that there was a certain part of Britain’s history that was being either ignored or forgotten or, worse still, hidden. Having run the History 4 Fun Group for several years it was interesting to see that there was a chunk of history, as taught in schools, that was being ignored.

Starting a Black British History group - what we discovered

We began a small group and researched certain periods of Black history. We started with the obvious, the Romans. By the very means of developing their army and conquering new lands the Romans assimilated many nationalities into their army with the promise of the reward of becoming a Roman citizen after twenty years of service in the army.

Looking at Hadrian’s Wall, and then Septimus Severus, who was born in Libya and became an emperor of Rome, it became obvious that this was just a starting point. Further research was easy to find but not well known. It was all there waiting to be found and so it was not actually hidden but just not on the school curriculum when we were at school.

This is not a case of rewriting history - just a case of showing what is there and always has been there. However, it has been ignored for years - for whatever political reasons.

During our studies we found out about the Beachy Head skeleton from Roman times and Julia Tertia, known as the 'Ivory Bangle Lady' who was found in Roman York. She had rich grave goods and was proved to have North African, as well as 'white' characteristics in her heritage. Evidence is also found in second and third century Roman Leicester and London.

There is evidence that there was a Roman unit of Moors called the Numerus Maurorum Aurelianorum, which was stationed near Carlisle. The unit had been mustered in the Roman province of Mauretania in North Africa, modern Morocco. About one hundred years later they were recorded in Notitia Dignitatum, a Roman directory that lists officials and dignitaries who visited the area and is a complete outline view of the Roman administrative system in the early fifth century.

A skeleton has been discovered in Fairford, Gloucestershire, which forensic anthropology revealed it to be that of a sub-Saharan African woman. Her remains have been dated between the years 896 and 1025. Local historians believe she was likely to be either a slave or a bonded servant.

We found that a skeleton from medieval times was found at Greyfriars in Ipswich. This was quite a revelation as most of us live within four or five miles of Ipswich and we knew nothing about this man.

In her book Black Tudors, Maranda Kauffman shows that parish records can help find that the ten African people she describes were not necessarily slaves, but free men and woman who had skills and were free and independent.

One of the most recognisable was John Blanc who was employed by Henry VII and later Henry VIII. He is thought to have come to England with Catherine of Aragon, and he is depicted in the Rolls as a trumpeter. There is written evidence that he petitioned Henry VIII for an upgrade in his pay, which was granted.

Another example was a diver, Jacques Francis, who was employed to explore the wreck of the Mary Rose. He then gave evidence in a court case against his employer which proves that he was a free man and not a slave.

Start exploring Black British history

Do think about starting a group about this subject and you will be surprised what you can find. If you need resources, I am happy to share what we have found if you email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Some resources for finding out more about Black British history:

• Antislavery in Britain - Frederick Douglass in Britain and Ireland
• Life as a slave - Segedunum Roman Fort
• Who were the African people living in Medieval and Tudor England? - BBC Bitesize
• The Ivory Bangle Lady and the multi-culturalism of Roman Britain - Sky History
• The Black presence in Roman Britain

Photo credits:

Roman Mosaic of an Aethiopian Fisherman by Nevit Dilman, 2009.
Roman Fresco Fragment by Garth Harney, 2021.
Portrait of Olaudah Equiano, University of London Senate House Library.