An unknown Black Soldier at the Battle of the Somme

A decade ago we worked on a project to identify Black soldiers who served in the First World War and who were commemorated in the UK. We had some successes, as a result of our work the ‘lost’ grave of Lionel Turpin was located and his final resting place in a Leamington cemetery is now marked. The project also led us to the story of the Walker Brothers and a book that tells their story:

We were helped in our work by two books, recently published at the time, Black Poppies by Stephen Bourne and Black Tommies by Ray Costello, but there was still a sense that this was a hidden history and that there were those who wished to deny the presence of Black soldiers in Flanders – if they were there at all, they were there simply as labourers, not as fighting troops. Thanks to the work of John Ellis our website now contains the stories of a number of men of colour who served in combat roles (just type ‘somme’ into the search box to find them).

The photo we feature below is further proof of a Black presence at the Battle of the Somme in 1916:

John Ellis provides some context:

This unit is D Company of the 1^st/4^th Gloucestershire Regiment (City of Bristol Battalion). They were formed from civilian volunteers living in Bristol when WW1 broke out. They went to France in 1915 and in July 1916 they participated in the Battle of the Somme. The photo was taken after a successful attack on the German trenches They have taken trophies: A German machine gun. German helmets and swords. Within a few days they went back into battle. The Battle of the Somme ended in November 1916. Over 400,000 British soldiers were killed. So many of the men in the photograph would have been wounded or killed after it was taken.

Only a few of the men in the photo have been identified. Most are unknown. Including the Black soldier sitting behind the machine gun among his comrades.

The photograph comes from the collection of amateur historian, Ian Chard, who reached out to the BBC in an attempt to find out who some of the men were. You can read more about the story here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-67945251

As we approach Remembrance Day the photograph offers a timely reminder of the diversity of those who have served Britain.

R.I.P. Nadia Cattouse (2/11/1924 to 29/10/2024)

Nadia Cattouse in her Auxiliary Territorial Service uniform

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Nadia Cattouse just a few days short of her 100^th birthday. Born in British Honduras (now Belize) she led a remarkable life as a singer, actor and activist as well as serving her country as a member of the ATS during World War Two.

We are lucky that in April 2020 Audrey Dewjee wrote an article about Nadia that was cleared by the lady herself and given her blessing. There is a lot of fake history on the internet but we can be sure that Audrey’s article is factually accurate in every respect, you can read it here, it is a fitting tribute to a life well lived: https://www.historycalroots.com/nadia-cattouse/

A Welsh mystery

Wanted

Information leading to the identification of this woman

The lady pictured here features in Audrey Dewjee’s latest article on Welsh Black history.

Audrey explains that at the end of a talk she gave in a small Yorkshire village, a member of the audience showed her this photograph and asked how she could find out who this beautiful young lady was. She had discovered the image in an album inherited after the death of a distant relation, and she had no idea who the young woman might be or how she may have been connected to the family. It was taken in ‘Newtown, North Wales’ (now in Powys) by a photographer named John Owen. Audrey supposes it dates from somewhere around 1890. We invite you to share this image far and wide and let us know of any clues as to the lady’s identity.

It is customary for ‘wanted’ posters to offer some sort of reward, unfortunately we can offer no money but you will earn our immense gratitude, reward enough, surely?!

This is just one of the fascinating snippets contained within Audrey’s article which you can find here:

https://www.historycalroots.com/more-snippets-of-welsh-black-history-1801-to-1900/

Ophelia Powell – A ‘Lady of Colour’ who graced many a music hall stage in Victorian Britain

The Britannia Panopticon Hall, Glasgow, where Ophelia performed in July 1864

John Ellis continues his trawl through the rapidly growing stock of digitised newspaper archives with the story of Ophelia Powell. Probably born in Jamaica in 1839, Ophelia became a big star in the burgeoning music hall scene in Victorian Britain, performing in some of the most prestigious venues as a serio-comic vocalist, a genre we had not previously heard of but one that bore many resemblances to modern stand up comedy. Serio-comics had to be adroit at dealing with hecklers who, in Ophelia’s case, would no doubt have had few qualms about commenting on her colour in robust terms. That she was able to sustain her career for over twenty years speaks volumes for her talent, resilience and determination.

The last trace John found of her in the archives dates from 1876 but where and when Ophelia faced the ‘final curtain’ is not known.

You can read John’s article here:

https://www.historycalroots.com/ophelia-powell-a-victorian-music-hall-star-and-lady-of-colour/

Edward Albert and his descendants

Jack London wearing his 1928 British Olympic blazer [Credit: PHA/8/2/90 © University of Westminster Archive]

Audrey Dewjee’s latest article for Historycal Roots starts with the birth of Edward Albert in Kingston, Jamaica in about 1830 and leads inexorably through the generations to Jack London. Born in British Guiana in January 1905, Jack won both a gold and a silver medal at the Olympic Games held in Amsterdam in 1928.

Audrey’s article takes us on a fascinating journey. To be honest, the story of Edward Albert is remarkable in its own right, encompassing life in the Royal Navy from the age of nine, the amputation of both legs below the knee at the age of twenty-one, his ‘death’ following the operation (greatly exaggerated as it transpired), time spent begging on the streets, a successful business venture (he was robbed of his profits), marriage and fatherhood. Edward’s resilience in the face of adversity and repeated setbacks is inspiring, but his story does not end there.

Among other discoveries, Audrey has identified two grandsons and a great-grandson who served in the Army during World War One or Two, including one who was captured by the Germans at Arnhem and another who died in Singapore.

Jack London enters the story in 1938 when he married Agnes Downham, a grand-daughter of Albert.

Born during the time of slavery, Edward Albert’s story, and that of many others like him, reminds us of Maya Angelou’s poem:

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Thank you, Audrey, for illuminating Black British history with your research and for helping to ensure that people like Edward Albert ‘rise’ and are not forgotten.

You can read the full story here: https://www.historycalroots.com/edward-albert-c-1830-1892-james-buchanan-c-1806-1886-and-their-families/

Equiano unveiled

How time flies! We were reminded at the ceremony in central London to unveil a plaque commemorating Olaudah Equiano, that our research in 2018 contributed in a small way to identifying his final resting place. A ceremony at the American Church in Goodge Street, London, on 15^th June 2024 was attended by many of the ‘great and good’ and somehow we snuck in too! Hosted by Reverend Jennifer Mills-Knutsen on behalf of the church and Arthur Torrington of the Equiano Society, there was poetry from Nairobi Thompson and readings from Equiano’s ‘Interesting Narrative’ by actor, Burt Caesar.

For us, the story began with a visit to the London Metropolitan Archives where we were able to examine the register of burials at the non-conformist chapel in Goodge Street for the years 1796-1808. The name Gustavus Vassa (as Equiano was known for most of his adult life) was there, showing his burial on 6^th April 1797.

Ever since then, Arthur Torrington has been working with the church and Camden Local Authority to have a plaque put in place to commemorate the site of Equiano’s burial (the burial ground has long since been paved over and only a few traces of its original function survive).

After the speeches we assembled outside for the blessing and unveiling.

‘Searcher of hearts, God of Providence,
bless this memorial of your servant Olaudah Equiano, Gustavus Vassa,
that this acknowledgement of his original resting place in death
would inspire those who live today.’

The plaque is prominently placed, turn left out of Goodge Street station and you can’t miss it.

Six years is a long time but congratulations to Arthur and the Equiano Society for persevering and getting the job done!

Sean Creighton – 17th July 1947 to 15th May 2024

Some who subscribe to this blog will be aware of Sean Creighton and also, sadly, that he died recently. For those who weren’t aware, Sean was a community activist and stalwart of the local history scene, particularly in London, where he lived latterly, and in the North-East.

We first met Sean when he hosted a local history walk around some of the local sites associated with our favourite composer, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. The wealth of research that had gone into the walk was very evident and Sean was an engaging guide, happy to share his knowledge. We enjoyed a pint or two in a convenient hostelry afterwards.

After that, we met Sean many times at events where he regularly ran a book stall. He was a publisher too and several of his books and pamphlets jostle for space on our bookshelves. He was a great organiser (one comment at his funeral was that, thanks to his passion and commitment, ‘Sean was the secretary of every group going’) and he graciously invited us to speak at the Norbury Literary Festival (of which he was a driving force) last year on the topic of ‘Writing Black History.’ There are many who knew Sean better than us but it was a privilege to be invited to his house for a birthday gathering last year, his last as it turned out, and to have known him.

His funeral was a fitting tribute, there was standing room only at Lambeth crematorium, with others watching a livestream.

There were tributes from family and friends. One comment that would resonate with those who knew Sean was that, had he lived a few more weeks, he would doubtless have penned a paper on 5^th July on how the Labour Government needed to do better!

Perhaps funerals shouldn’t have ‘highlights’ but Tayo Aluko gave a powerful and moving rendition of the Ballad of Joe Hill, here is Paul Robeson’s version (without Tayo’s added verse about Sean):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Kxq9uFDes

The central message of the song is certainly one that sums up Sean’s outlook…

‘Organise!’

The ill-fated voyage of the SS Verdala

On 11^th March 1916 the SS Verdala left Jamaica with 1,160 recruits on board, men who had enlisted to fight for Britain in the ‘Great War’. As the ship steamed out of the harbour, even the Governor of Jamaica, Sir W H Manning, didn’t know the precise details of the planned voyage other than that England was the ultimate destination. What transpired shook many Jamaicans’ faith in the colonial authorities.

Recruits marching through the streets of Kingston on their way to the Verdala^[1]From ‘Jamaica and the Great War’ by Herbert G De Lisser

On the eve of departure from Kingston^[2]De Lisser, Op.cit.

The Verdala was ill-suited for the voyage that lay ahead and nine of the men who left Jamaica with high hopes of contributing to the war effort died long before the ship reached England. Hundreds of others were permanently disabled.

You may be familiar with the story, the broad outlines are relatively well-known, but even with well-known stories there is often more that can be learned. We think our latest article will contain new information for even the most well-read of this site’s followers. You can read it here:

https://www.historycalroots.com/an-ill-fated-voyage-the-ss-verdala-march-1916/

References[+]

References
↑1	From ‘Jamaica and the Great War’ by Herbert G De Lisser
↑2	De Lisser, Op.cit.

New discoveries: Black soldiers in Edinburgh 1792-1848

New discoveries cause us to constantly revise our thoughts about history in general and Black British history in particular. More and more records are being digitised and made available online and these lead to new finds and deeper understanding.

Regular contributor, John D Ellis, recently stumbled across a set of data he had never seen before. Careful analysis of the Army attestation registers for Edinburgh, has enabled John to identify the names of over forty Black soldiers who enlisted in British Army regiments between 1792 and 1848 in the city of Edinburgh alone. John makes the point that if such a register was maintained in Edinburgh, similar registers must have been kept in other cities – where are they and what would they reveal about the Black presence in Britain?

We first became aware of John’s work when he spoke at an event we attended in Huddersfield in 2018, what he had to say about the presence of Black soldiers in the British Army in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries opened our eyes to an area of black British history that we had been largely unaware of. Since then, our understanding of the Black presence, in terms of both numbers and geographical spread, has come on in leaps and bounds. Working on this site and becoming aware of the work of John, Audrey Dewjee, Ray Costello and many others has been an educational experience for us and, we hope, for you too.

You can read John’s article here:

https://www.historycalroots.com/black-soldiers-and-edinburgh-c-1792-1848/

From Jamaica to Hampton Court

Born on Jamaica in about 1780, a ‘Black man’, John Fitzhenry, had seen service in the British Army in Spain and in ‘the War of 1812’ in America before the 1841 census found him living at Hampton Court Palace with his wife and three children. John was working there as a servant.

Interesting enough, but John D Ellis’s latest article for Historycal Roots about John Fitzhenry’s life has two postscripts.

The first, identifies some other ‘men of colour’ who served with John Fitzhenry’s regiment (the 14^th Dragoons). It includes an instructive detour to Australia where a former officer of the regiment came to an inglorious end whilst hunting down members of the Nyungar tribe, whose ancestors had lived on the land for countless centuries before the arrival of British colonists, in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania).

The second postscript traces the exploits of John Fitzhenry’s son who competed as an athlete in Yorkshire in the 1840s and subsequently moved to Liverpool.

You can read John’s wide-ranging article here:

https://www.historycalroots.com/from-jamaica-to-hampton-court-palace-private-john-fitzhenry-of-the-14th-dragoons/