King Charles III is off on a Commonwealth Tour to the Bahamas and the West Indies. The portents indicate that it may well be the last by a British Head of State or, at least, in the role of Commonwealth Leader. “Official Sources” indicate that any kind of apology for slavery and its impact will be will stoutly resisted, as will the possibility of reparation.
Royal African Company, whose Principal was King Charles II, transported some 5000 slaves per annum from West Africa to the Carribean, according to Professor William Pettigrew in his new book, Britain’s Slave Traders: A Forgotten History.
The BBC is currently showing, ‘Finding Britain’s Slave Traders’, in which presenter, David Olusoga reveals that the monarchy established a monopoly on slave trading. Britain’s shameful business practice had regal imprimatur. Slaves were branded ‘RAC’ to indicate that they were the property of the Crown. Nothing to apologise for there!
With a group of other photographers, I hired a rib to travel up the Clyde when the international flotilla of tall ships visited some 26 years ago. It was a magnificent spectacle. However, travelling up the Firth, I was very conscious of the buildings on the shoreline and their links to sugar, tea and tobacco. Imports, directly linked to the horrors of slavery which had made some of Glasgow extremely wealthy.
The visitor to the City Centre or the affluent suburbs will certainly be struck by the magnificence of its buildings. Have a thought about the origins of this enormous wealth. I live in Clackmannanshire, Scotland’s smallest county. About three miles away is Dollar Academy, a private, fee-paying school; it was founded by John McNabb, a ship owner, active during the slave trade period. He bequeathed £65 000 to found a school for the poor. How that aspiration mutated to today’s reality where parents pay £25 000 per year and upwards in fees is unclear. The current trustees are not responsible for the actions of the founding father and, in fairness to them and school management, there has been an attempt in the history Curriculum to address his actions. Something which the Royal Family and British Governments have consistently shirked. What we have, we hold is the maxim.
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