National Trust details links between colonialism and slavery

The National Trust has revealed how more than 90 of its properties have connections to slavery and colonialism.

The links, at 93 properties, are highlighted in a report commissioned by the charity to tell the story of colonialism and slavery on their sites.

Some, like Penrhyn Castle in North Wales, show how wealth derived from slavery was used for reconstruction.

The charity has said it is committed to sharing the stories of slavery and colonialism.

He has also pledged to contribute to his research and admitted that he has more work to do.

The National Trust is a conservation charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is an independent and independent National Trust for Scotland,

• ‘Umbilical’ Colonialism in National Trust Homes

The report details links to plantation owners and those who were paid compensation for enslaved people freed through abolition, as well as those who obtained their wealth through the slave trade.

It also includes properties with connections to people involved in colonial expansion, including prominent figures in the East India Company or important figures in colony management, including Winston Churchill’s home, Chartwell.

And those that have important cultural ties to the colonial history of Britain stand out, such as the home of the writer Rudyard Kipling in Sussex, Bateman or the home of the historian Thomas Carlyle in London.

The National Trust report shows how estates and manor houses like Clandon Park, Surrey and Hare Hall in Cheshire were linked to wealth from plantations or the slave trade.

Some 29 properties served by the National Trust have links to successful compensation claims as a result of the abolition of slavery, such as Glastonbury Tor in Somerset and Blickling Hall, Norfolk, the report shows.

Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire, was built using family wealth related to slavery, while Bath Assembly Rooms connected to the broader colonial and slave economies of the 18th century, he notes.

Powis Castle in Wales, with its ties to Clive of India, and Cragside, Northumberland, which was the home of Sir William Armstrong, who supplied arms to the British military, are among those with imperial ties.

The survey also documents National Trust properties owned by people who participated in the abolition movement or the fight against colonial oppression.

And it highlights the presence of Africans, Asians and Chinese who work on English and Welsh farms.

The report is based on the trust’s own files and external evidence, such as the Legacies of British Slave project – owned by University College London.

Dr Tarnya Cooper, curatorial and collections director for the National Trust, said that a “significant” number of properties under the charity’s care have links to colonization in different parts of the world, and some to historical slavery.

“Colonialism and slavery were fundamental to the national economy between the 17th and 19th centuries,” he said.

He added that it was the charity’s job, as a heritage charity, to research, interpret and openly share complete and up-to-date information about its properties.

“This report is the most comprehensive account to date of the links between the places that are now in the care of the National Trust and colonialism and historical slavery,” he said, adding that it was not exhaustive and would be added as do more research.

The research has been used to update information online and will be used to assist the Trust in reviewing visitor information and exhibits at the properties.