Hidden Black history of East London…

03.09.2024

Meanwhile…

Sweet Patootee Arts’ co-Creative Director Tony T, has been freelancing as Research and Engagement Lead for the groundbreaking Black History project Communities of Liberation – at Tower Hamlets Archives. This work has reached its half-way point, and it’s on track!

The project’s (truly) brilliant co-Producers, all of them Tower Hamlets residents, have been developing creative interpretation based on historical evidence of the African women, children and men who lived and worked in the group of parishes that 300 years ago made up today’s Tower Hamlets.

The work of our creative team is facilitated in a series of workshops led by Montaz Marché (historian of early modern Black Britain), Judith Bryan (acclaimed author & teacher of Creative Writing), Holly Graham (Visual Arts/ Collage), and Weyland McKenzie-Witter (Sound Design).

Alongside enabling the above, Tony is researching Black lives in 300 year-old sources at Tower Hamlets Archives: To be compiled into a searchable resource with contextual sources – made public accessible from March 2025.

Attached is Tony’s picture of a source he found just last week. Have a look about half-way down the left-hand page. It’s the record of a family baptising their child at Saint George in the East church, on 1st Jan 1790. The old English writing is a bit of a challenge but see how you go – there’s a transcript at the bottom of this blog.

Tony is so proud to be able to contribute to the Communities of Liberation project. Huge thanks to his colleagues at Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives.

Here’s that transcript…

1790. 1 Jan: Daughter of Thomas Stanley a Black. By Margarett. Denmark Street. Born Sept 17th.