Scipio Africanus!
Hello! Welcome to my first blog post. The purpose of this blog is to shed a light on the history of Bristol, and therefore at nation at large.
My first post focuses on the story of Scipio Africanus, a story which is equally saddening, fascinating, defined by the unknown. Scipio Africanus’s graveyard stands in the graveyard of St Mary’s Church, Henbury, near Bristol. Aside from his grave, no other record exists to portray this young man’s life. Being born in 1702 and dying in 1720, at some point during his life, Scipio Africanus became the property of Charles William Howard, 7th Earl of Suffolk, the owner of the Henbury estate, through his marriage to Arabella Astry of Henbury Great House. As the Howard family had no known connection to the West Indies, we do not know how he came into the Earl’s ownership, or what the true nature of their relationship, although we can surmise that it was servile in nature, with Africanus perhaps being kept as a page boy in the Earl’s household.
Often church records and gravesites are all that remain to remind us of the historic Black presence in Britain, yet they stand testament to the richness, complexity and diversity of Britain’s history. We do not know the name or background of Scipio Africanus, or really how he came to be buried in a graveyard in rural England. The name of Scipio Africanus seems to have been part of a naming practice that existed between the enslaved and their masters , that of giving enslaved individuals the names of powerful people from history, in this case the name of Scipio Africanus, a Roman general. Such practices show the power imbalance that existed between the enslaved and the enslavers and can be seen as a form of ridicule, with examples including Olaudah Equiano, who was given the name of Gustavus Vassa, the King of Sweden.
Historians believe that in the 1700s the Black community in Bristol numbered in the several hundreds, growing to around 15,000 in the latter part of the century, with population concentrations in Bristol, Liverpool and London, with multiple primary and archival sources portraying a sizeable Black community in Bristol. However, no such records for exist for Scipio Africanus and his burial is not included in the Henbury parish register. Despite this, it clear that Lord Suffolk felt affection for Scipio Africanus as his gravestone is the most elaborate in the churchyard. His inscription reads thus;
“Here Lieth
the body of Scipio Africanus Negro servant to y Right
Honourable Charles William Earl of Suffolk and Bradon
who died y 21st December 1720 Aged 18 years.”
“I who was Born a PAGAN and a SLAVE
Now Sweetly Sleep a CHRISTIAN in my Grave
What tho my hue was dark my SAVIORS sight
Shall Change this darkness into radiant light
Such grace to me my Lord on earth has given
To recommend me to my Lord in heaven
Whose glorious second coming here I wait
With saints and Angels Him to celebrate.”
Not only does this suggest that Scipio Africanus converted to Christianity before his death, but also the belief that was prevalent at the time that Black people were spiritually inferior. It also highlights the benefits of his Christian faith, and stands as a testament to the presence and role of Black people in Bristol’s history.