The Legacy of Bristol as a Slaving Port

During the 18^th century, Bristol emerged as one of the most important ports for the slave trade in Britain. One-fifth of all African slaves forcefully deported by Britain between the 16^th and 19^th centuries were transported on Bristol’s merchant ships. Profits from enslavement expanded the city’s economy through investment in public institutions, commercial districts, and infrastructure still prevalent today. How that history is remembered, represented, and at times misremembered in Bristol’s public landscape remains a contested question.

Framing Enslavement through a Single Story

The tensions surrounding Bristol’s memory of slavery become particularly evident in its commemorative landscape. One of the clearest examples is Pero’s Bridge, whose naming illustrates both an attempt to acknowledge a dark history and the limitations of that recognition. Pero’s Bridge is named after Pero Jones, an enslaved person brought to Bristol to work on a plantation and who later lived and died in the city. Yet the bridge’s commemorative function is limited in reach as few people know who Pero Jones was or the history his name represents. Pero’s Bridge is the only public and physical recognition of Bristol’s historical involvement in slavery. Councillor Stephen Williams suggests the limited recognition is a result of the council’s reluctance to be associated with the issue and an unwillingness to fund a memorial.

The Myths of Blackboy Hill

The lack of public information or commemoration creates misconceptions around everyday spaces within Bristol. As a result, many myths persist around Bristol’s history with slavery. Blackboy Hill, for example, is often wrongfully associated with the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Blackboy Hill was named after a pub, the Black Boy Inn. The inn’s name itself was derived from King Charles II, who had dark hair and complexion. Similar misconceptions exist surrounding the Redcliffe Caves, with many incorrectly believing that thousands of slaves were kept in the caves as prisoners until ready to be sold. There is no historical accuracy to this claim. Due to the nature of the triangular trade system very few slaves entered the city Bristol proper. These examples show how the lack of clear public information leads to narratives competing to be deemed truthful, allowing myths to enter mainstream discourse of Bristol’s colonial legacy.

Institutional Ties to the Transatlantic Slave Trade

A major institution in the city that reflects Bristol’s history with slavery is the University of Bristol. 85% of the wealth the university was founded on was obtained through slave labour. A key example can be found in the Wills, Fry, and Colston families, who were major donors to the University of Bristol. Their wealth stemmed from products such as tobacco, sugar and cotton that were grown on Caribbean plantations and refined and manufactured in Bristolian factories. The most prominent person from these families likely is Edward Colston. He was a Bristol-based merchant, slave trader, and senior member of the Royal African Company. He had slaves be transported across the globe and used some of his wealth for philanthropic causes that greatly benefitted the city. In return, Bristol commemorated him by naming Colston Avenue after him in the late nineteenth century and erected a statue of him in 1895 in the same street. However, some residents of Bristol have attempted institutional and publicly visible changes to reshape the city’s landscape: Colston’s statue was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol on the 7^th of June 2020. It represented a turning point in the city’s ability to confront its history. Subsequently, several significant landmarks relating to Colston were renamed. This concerned Colston Hall, a large music venue renamed Bristol Beacon in September 2020, and Colston Girls’ School which was renamed Montpelier High School for Girls in November 2021. The exception remains Colston Avenue, which maintains to bear his name.

Tackling the Past: The University of Bristol’s Approach

The University of Bristol set up a Reparative Futures Programme to tackle the legacy of enslavement and racial inequality within the institution and the city through transparency and structural change. It comes with significant funding of £10 million. In regard to public visibility, the decision was made to retain the names of the Wills Memorial Tower and the Fry Building. However, the complexity of change is illustrated by the fact that even though Colston’s insignia have been removed from the university’s official logo and been replaced by a book, the Colston dolphin insignia remain visible across university buildings, as replacing every instance was found too expensive and complex. By contrast, the insignia of the Wills and Fry families remain a part of the university’s logo. The university explains this on the basis that these families were not directly involved in the trading of humans, but profited from their labour, and used that wealth to fund the university.  The university states that it is determined to present the institution’s history accurately and honestly through the retention of association with these families.

Exploring an International Context

Bristol does not seem to attempt to hide or erase its involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade but is changing how the history is displayed and understood amongst the public. Like Bristol, many other cities around the world are reflecting on their heritages, which at times can be difficult to handle, alongside modern and diverse populations. This can be seen in Liverpool, Lancaster, Hamburg and Montgomery, to name just a few examples. Next to city councils, many other institutions have made the move to be transparent about their colonial pasts. It ranges from private companies to major newspapers like The Guardian, or foundations like The National Trust.