Leave the street names unchanged

THE Chronicle reports that Newcastle City Council has committed to investigate whether two Newcastle streets, namely Blackett Street and Colston Street have “proven links to the slave trade” following requests from the “public” in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.

The Blackett street name has come under scrutiny as John Erasmus Blackett, after whom the street is named, served an apprenticeship under a Liverpool merchant named Foster Cunliffe, who had links to slavery.

John Erasmus Blackett was a prominent businessman and four-time Lord Mayor of Newcastle in the 1700s. He was also the father-in-law of Admiral Lord Collingwood, second in command to Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. He was also an abolitionist as evidenced by his actions relating to the Common Council of Newcastle’s resolution of 1788, calling for Parliament to conduct an urgent enquiry into the Slave Trade. It was none other than John Erasmus Blackett who conveyed this resolution to Parliament.

His many achievements may well however count for nothing as the would-be guardians of our culture, history, identity, and presumably before long,

our thoughts, have called for this investigation because of the time he served as an apprentice to a merchant with an interest in slavery.

I can only wonder what the implications might be for myself, my family, and anyone else who bears the Blackett name. JE Blackett’s links to 18th century slavery are tenuous in the extreme. If this insane 21st century witch-hunt continues, where will it end?

Will it be safe for people such as I who bear the Blackett name to retain the name? Will I still be classed as privileged because of who I am or might I face discrimination due to my name? If those last two sentences sound ridiculous, then it’s because this whole campaign to erase Britain’s

history and identity is just that, ridiculous.

Leave the street names unchanged.

Bill Blackett