‘Repugnant’ memorial to slave proprietor faraway from church
A “repugnant” memorial to a slave proprietor which praises him for quelling a revolt has been faraway from a church to a museum within the first relocation of its sort.
The plaque in St Peter’s Church, Dorchester, Dorset, commemorates John Gordon who managed plantations in Jamaica for absentee British house owners, and in addition owned some plantations himself. Originally from Scotland, Mr Gordon died in 1774 in Dorchester as he was travelling to Falmouth to catch a ship to return to Jamaica however had no recognized Dorset connections.
The Church of England took the motion to maneuver the plaque to the close by Dorset Museum the place it is going to be viewable on request after churchgoers questioned its presence within the church.
A spokeswoman for the Diocese of Salisbury mentioned: “The memorial is very uncommon in recording an precise occasion of revolt by enslaved individuals – Tacky’s revolt of 1760 – and is taken into account to be of historic significance because of this.”
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However, the wording on the monuments explicitly refers to Gordon’s actions in quelling the rebellion, praising him and using offensive language. Many worshippers at St Peter’s and visitors had long felt the monument had no place in a church which sought to be open and welcoming to everybody.
Max Hebditch, a historian who attends St Peter’s, carried out research into Gordon and the church applied through the Church of England’s planning system for the monument to be removed from the wall and put in Dorset Museum next door.
Ruth Arlow, diocese chancellor, said: “The monument celebrated in language of acclamation the violent quelling of a rebellion by enslaved people against a status that is now universally acknowledged as morally repugnant and contrary to Christian doctrine.
“Its continued presence in the building seemed to imply the continued support, or at least toleration and acceptance, of discrimination and oppression and was inconsistent with the message of the universality of God’s love which the community of St Peter’s sought to share.”
Harvard University Professor Vincent Brown, author of Tacky’s Revolt, The Story Of An Atlantic Slave War, supported research into the monument undertaken by the church. He said: “The Diocese of Salisbury’s decision represents a model for taking history seriously by honouring the values of the present without erasing or forgetting the past.
“To remember enslavers is not to celebrate them rather it is to acknowledge the dark legacy of their influence on our world.”
The Archdeacon of Sherborne, Penny Sayer, said: “Local people were asking if it was appropriate to have such a monument in a church, or is it more appropriate to have it somewhere else. It is really important that the story is told, particularly because it mentions Tacky’s revolt which represents hidden voices, people whose stories are not often told.
“There were very careful steps taken by the church to ensure the monument was researched and the right process followed.”
The memorial is to be replaced with a simple plaque noting details of the life and death of Gordon whose ancestors have been consulted on the replacement.