Fulham Palace Trust is an independent charity set up to restore the house and garden and to provide public access to this ancient site on the banks of the River Thames. From 704 to 1973 the site was owned by the Bishop of London, one of the most important figures in the Church of England.
The Bishop of the Colonies
The Church of England was deeply implicated in Britain’s colonial expansion and the transatlantic traffic in enslaved Africans. The Bishop of London was one of the Church’s most senior figures, having had jurisdiction over the British colonies around the world.
Some Bishops of London were personally involved with or benefitted from colonialism and the transatlantic traffic in enslaved Africans. One Bishop is known to have owned enslaved people, another exploited his connections overseas to import thousands of plant species to Fulham Palace and other Bishops owned land abroad, or invested money in trading companies like the Royal African Company.
Uncovering the history
In 2020 Fulham Palace Trust started to research the historic role of the Bishops of London in colonialism and transatlantic slavery. The research informed Fulham Palace’s decision to empower people who are descended from those who were enslaved or indentured to shape and lead on future projects, including this current temporary exhibition.
Over a period of three months in 2022, poet Adisa the Verbalizer worked with 100 participants from five schools and community groups in London to explore the story of the resistance of enslaved people. Participants explored four key themes of resistance against slavery: hair, dance (and martial arts), obeah and song.
Exhibition
The new exhibition, opening to the public on Monday 24 April, was co-curated by Adisa, and showcases the work of participants by examining the systems of physical and spiritual resistance that ultimately led to the ending of the transatlantic traffic in enslaved people and slavery itself in the British Empire. This is set against the backdrop of the historic involvement of the Bishop of London and the Church of England in colonialism and transatlantic slavery.
The Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, said:
“I am profoundly sorry for the harm that was inflicted by my predecessors through their involvement with the transatlantic slave trade. It continues to be a source of great shame to us as a Diocese, and this exhibition at Fulham Palace comes as a painful but vital reminder of the Church’s role in this reprehensible period of our history – one which still adversely impacts descendants of enslaved people, manifesting in a range of issues from systemic inequalities to explicit racism.
“Today, we are committed to having racial justice woven into every aspect of what we do, and we are focused on taking practical steps towards building communities and cultures that are inclusive and fair for all. Earlier this year, the Church Commissioners committed to addressing past wrongs for its involvement in the slave trade with a £100m fund delivering a programme of investment, research, and engagement. Our attempts to right this wrong will never be enough, but understanding and responding to our past can help us create a positive and lasting legacy to serve communities impacted by slavery.”
Sian Harrington, CEO of Fulham Palace Trust, said:
“Fulham Palace Trust is challenging the standard narrative of British history alongside many other organisations in the UK. We hope that we and the partners on this project can help push for further conversations about the historic actions of the Bishop of London, the Church of England and other British institutions, acknowledging how these have shaped our lives today.” The exhibition was supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
The project artist Adisa said:
“My aim for this project was to focus on the enslaved Africans, their stories, and celebrate them. I wanted to put their experiences front and centre of the story, not see them as victims and secondary. That’s how I chose to focus on resistance – to show what enslaved people did, rather than what was done to them. I’m so passionate about this subject, and my dream of bringing this story to life has been realised through this project.”
