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Memorial to enslaved people could be installed in church with memorial to slaver
Thomas Daniel was a mayor and high sheriff of Bristol who donated much of his wealth to charity. There is a rose window in Bristol Cathedral to remember his life and another memorial in St Mary’s Church in Henbury.
Daniel was also a slave owner, who received the equivalent of millions of pounds in today’s money as compensation in 1837 when slavery was made illegal.
Talks have now begun to commemorate enslaved Africans in the buildings where there are memorials to him.
is needed now More than ever
Gloria Daniel, the great-great granddaughter of one of the 4,424 people enslaved in 1834 on a plantation owned by Daniel, recently met with the bishop of Bristol, Vivienne Faull.
Bishop Vivienne said that “it was important to meet with Gloria Daniel to learn something of the story of the Daniel family and its connections to the Church of England, even though it points to a shameful past”.
“Following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, I made a series of public commitments as bishop to tackle racism and to acknowledge and repent of the Church’s past involvement in and benefit from the slave trade.
“Working with Ms Daniel is a direct outworking of the commitments I made and I look forward to seeing the fruit of our collaborative work in the months ahead.”
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Read more: Bishop of Bristol appoints new adviser on racial justice
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Gloria Daniel said: “Allowing stained glass tributes to be erected to the honour of men such as Thomas Daniel and his sons and the direct ties to the clergy, within that family, inextricably links the Church of England to these crimes against humanity.”
She said that although she has not yet received a commitment to install a plaque to enslaved people, she believes “it is now on the table”.
“This simple request to finally commemorate our great, great grandfather and 4,424 African Caribbean peoples who were enslaved by Thomas Daniel and his family, cannot in good conscience be denied.”
In 2020, elements of a stained glass window recording a dedication to Colston were removed from Bristol Cathedral and prominent references to Colston were also removed from the windows of St Mary Redcliffe Church.
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more: First look at Colston statue on display at M Shed
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