Society talk

THE December meeting of Sutton Bonington Local History Society welcomed Suella Postles to talk about George Africanus 1763 to 1834.

The Molineux family where business people and Wolverhampton worthies with connections to Nottinghamshire. Their name is commemorated in the football ground at Wolverhampton.

The Molineux’s “acquired” George, who was probably from Sierra Leone, as a “fashion statement” when the child was about 3 years old. However unlike many of the people removed from Africa at this time he seems to have been treated well.

The family educated him and, in his early twenties , George came to Nottingham, and on the back of the Molineux’s connections, set up business as a brass founder in the Broad Marsh area.

George married a local lady, had seven children, although only one, a daughter, reached maturity.

He also ran a number of businesses including an employment agency for servants and owned property.

He was described, at one stage, as a yeomen, which was unusual in an urban context, he was a freeman and was able to vote.

The disappointing aspect of Georges life is that we do not know much about it. He was plucked from obscurity, given an education and had connections which seemed to work to his benefit. He was black, married to a white woman.

There were apparently several thousand black people in the country at the time and we know little about them. Did Georges elevated status protect him from discrimination? We may never know.

The next meeting is on February 14, 7.30pm, at the Methodist School Rooms, Main Street, Sutton Bonington, when Andy Gaunt will enlighten us all on the “The Archaeology and History of Sherwood Forest and King John’s Palace”.

New members always welcome.