Celebrating the black presence in Westminster 1500-2000

This exhibition can be viewed in a number of ways:

  • Thumbnail versions of the images are shown on this page. Clicking on each image will bring up a larger version with information about the image.
  • Each of the large images appears on its own page, but you can work your way forwards and backwards through the images by clicking on the 'next page' and 'previous page' links, or come back to this page at any point

Thumbnail images, arranged by section

First arrivals

Westminster Tournament, 1511 Burial of Margaret, a Moor, St Martin-in-the-Fields, 1571 Baptism of Nicholas, age 3, St Margaret’s Westminster, 1619/20

Life in Service

Robert Jenando (1673 -1716) ‘The Morning after the Marriage’, 1827
Page boy from ‘The Morning after the Marriage’, 1827 Catherine Bengal, 1746

The Road to Reform

Olaudah Equiano, writer and abolitionist (1745-97) Baptism of ‘Gustavus Vassa’, St Margaret’s Westminster, 1759
The Sierra Leone settlement, 1787 Baptism of Mercy Adams, Richard Bird and Joseph Prince, St Margaret’s, Westminster, 1762

The Struggle for Human Rights

Execution of the Cato Street Conspirators, 1820 Detail from the execution at Newgate, showing William Davidson, 1820 Discovery of the Plot in the Hay Loft at Cato Street, 1820
William Davidson, radical campaigner (1786-1820) William Cuffay, Chartist leader (1788-1870) Sara Baartman, the Hottentot Venus, 1810
Sara Baartman, the Hottentot Venus, 1810 ‘Slaves in bondage’, 1830

A Diverse Community

The Piccadilly Nuisance, 1818 Detail from the Piccadilly Nuisance, 1818 Rungo Bapogee and the Marylebone Reformers, 1847

Work & Leisure

Baptism of Samuel Ram-sami, Horseferry Road, 1861 Morgan Smith, Marylebone Theatre, 1868 Westminster Pit, 1821
Black lecture on the history of Britain Venus and Adonis, c1789

Twentieth Century: Answering the Call

Indian Army victory march, 2 August 1919 On the buses Page from Empire Windrush Passenger list, 1948

Copyright 2001 City of Westminster Archives Centre
Unless otherwise stated, all intellectual property and copyrights arising from this site are vested in the City of Westminster Archives Centre.

Resources for Sale

  • Two large posters ‘Celebrating the Black Presence in Westminster 1500-2000’, and ‘Celebrating the Black Presence in Westminster 1500-2000: Hidden Lives’ can be purchased from the City of Westminster Archives Centre price £3.50 each (including postage and packing).
  • A resource pack: 'Hidden Lives' is available, price £3.50
  • An extensive collections guide: Sources for Black and Asian history at the City of Westminster Archives Centre is available, price £7.00