“Heirs of Slavery” is a new group of people whose ancestors profited from British enslavement and the industries dependent on it.
The descendants of some of the most prominent names in the history of British slavery on 24 April called on the British Government to begin long-requested talks on reconciliation and reparative justice for the descendants of the 3.1 million enslaved African people transported across the Atlantic by Britain.
Authors, journalists, businesspeople and a direct descendant of the Victorian Prime Minister William Gladstone are among the members of a new group set up to support campaigns to address “the ongoing consequences of this crime against humanity.”
“British slavery was legal, industrialised and based entirely on race,” said Alex Renton, one of the group. “Britain has never apologised for it, and its after-effects still harm people’s lives in Britain as well as in the Caribbean countries where our ancestors made money.”
The group includes David Lascelles (the Earl of Harewood), retired social worker Rosemary Harrison, businessman Charles Gladstone, the former BBC correspondent Laura Trevelyan, author and publisher Richard Atkinson, retired schoolteacher Robin Wedderburn, film director John Dower and journalist Alex Renton, who is a son of a former Conservative cabinet minister.
Members of the group have publicly acknowledged that their ancestors’ wealth was in part derived from plantations worked by enslaved Africans, and for whom the slave-owners received compensation at British slavery’s abolition in the 1830s. Harrison’s ancestor was a slave owner and Attorney General in Jamaica in the late 18th century.
“We encourage the hundreds of thousands of people in Britain with similar family histories to explore and acknowledge them. Until the painful legacy of slavery is recognised by the descendants of those who profited from it, there can never be healing,” said Richard Atkinson.
“I joined this group in an attempt to begin to address the appalling ills visited on so many people by my ancestor John Gladstone,” said Charles Gladstone.
The group and their families have all made private donations to tackle poverty, poor education and other issues affecting the descendants of the enslaved in Britain and Caribbean countries. “This group wants to move beyond personal donations, which can never be enough,” said Rosemary Harrison. “We wish to offer our energy and support to the existing movements, led by Caricom and others, that are seeking reparative justice from the European nations and the institutions that were enriched by the industries dependent on enslaved African people.”
Caribbean countries whose people endured slavery and its aftermath are now calling for the former colonial powers to invest in their health and education systems, and for the cancellation of debts. Meanwhile, the group is in conversation with British people descended from the enslaved of the Caribbean countries, and who experience racism, poverty and inequality that derives from it.
“I would like to listen and learn from the descendants of the enslaved to find out what would best help them in their lives today. Please tell us how apology and repair, led by the British nation, should work,” said Robin Wedderburn.
“Those of us in this group share a dark history, one that we are endeavouring to be open about in the hope of encouraging dialogue, friendship and reconciliation between all the people whose lives have been affected. We urge other people with a similar history, both individuals and institutions, to join us in speaking out,” said David Lascelles.
“After so long, the reparatory justice movement is gaining momentum in Europe. Whether it’s the Dutch Government, the Church of England, or the British Royal Family, the enduring and painful legacy of slavery is finally starting to be acknowledged by those who benefited from it,” said Laura Trevelyan.
We are a new group composed of people whose ancestors profited from and supported transatlantic slavery and its many related industries.
It is a history that we have all examined and acknowledged publicly. There are wrongs in today’s world that derive from the exploitation of African people and their descendants by Britain and other former colonial powers. We believe it’s important to acknowledge this crime against humanity and address its ongoing consequences. We wish to support today’s movements seeking apology, dialogue, reconciliation and reparative justice.
We encourage others who have similarly examined their family history to consider how personal charitable donations, according to their means, can help the futures of people in the Caribbean and Britain. But our main purpose is to lend our voices as heirs of those involved in the business of slavery to support campaigns for institutional and national reparative justice.
- We support the Caricom nations’ Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice
- We encourage the UK Government and other former colonial powers to open a dialogue with Caricom concerning the plan
- We welcome initiatives from the Royal Family, the Church of England, the Bank of England and other institutions, private and public, to analyse their role in transatlantic slavery, and their responsibility to the descendants of the enslaved today
- We support efforts to better inform the British public about the history and ongoing effects of transatlantic slavery
- We support initiatives by University College London, the universities of Glasgow and Lancaster and others to research the extent and impact of transatlantic slavery
- We welcome the Dutch Government’s recent apology for the Netherlands’ historic role in slavery, and note its establishment of a reparations fund to tackle the legacy of slavery in the Netherlands and its former colonies
“We cannot change the past. But we can change the consequences”
– Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, Windrush-era migrant to Britain, Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University
Signatories
Richard Atkinson’s paternal ancestors owned or managed numerous sugar estates in Jamaica. Their extensive business interests on the island included a longstanding government contract to hire the labour of up to 400 enslaved men to the British army.
John Dower and Laura Trevelyan are descended from 6 Trevelyans who in 1835, shared £29,000 as “compensation” for owning 1,004 enslaved people on the island of Grenada.
Charles Gladstone’s 3-times great-grandfather John Gladstone owned sugar plantations in Jamaica and what is now Guyana, receiving £106,000 “compensation” at abolition. John’s son William became Prime Minister of Great Britain. As a young MP, he spoke in Parliament against abolition and in favour of compensation for slave owners, but by 1850 he had changed his position, describing slavery as “far the foulest crime that taints the history of mankind in any Christian or pagan country.”
Rosemary Harrison’s 4-times great-grandfather was Jamaica’s Attorney General in the late 18th century. He owned enslaved people as servants.
David Lascelles (Earl of Harewood’s) ancestors built Harewood House in Yorkshire with money made through the sugar trade and the slave trade that supported it. The Lascelles family received £26,309 “compensation” in 1835 after slavery was abolished. Harewood House has been run as an educational charitable trust since 1985.
Alex Renton is descended from owners of enslaved people on both sides of his family. His maternal ancestors, the Fergussons, co-owned plantations and people in Jamaica and Tobago: they shared £3,591 in “compensation” at abolition.
Robin Wedderburn’s ancestor John Wedderburn was a soldier and Assembly member in Jamaica in the late 18th/early 19th centuries. He owned at least 10 plantations and the enslaved people on them.
Please visit www.heirsofslavery.org to contact us for more information and a list of some educational projects and other charities supported by members of this group.
So tell us Gladstone heirs, the money was received long before your relative ‘s change of heart in 1850?
Why the snarky question?