Audit of village hall slavery connections defended

‘Unless we can study that kind of thing objectively … we will be talking about anecdotal information’

THE Government’s official heritage adviser has shrugged off criticism of a controversial study detailing the slavery pasts of village halls saying “it is a proper thing to do”.

Villages were branded part of the “transatlantic slavery economy” by Historic England in a review of halls, churches and pubs aimed at making heritage appeal to diverse communities earlier this month.

Chapels where historical figures worshipped and were buried have also been audited in research that notes the graves of slave profiteers and their relatives. The study infuriated the Common Sense Group of Tory MPs and prompted Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, to say he had asked officials to work “closely with Historic England to ensure that the Government’s policy of ‘retain and explain’ is clearly understood”.

However, on a BBC Radio 4 arts programme, asked if Mr Dowden had “a problem” with the slavery research, Historic England’s chief executive Duncan Wilson replied: “I don’t think so – provided it is done objectively”.

He told the Front Row programme: “That piece of research was actually only a summary of a lot of other research conducted over the last 30 years and unless we can actually study that kind of issue objectively then we won’t get the facts out there and we will be talking about anecdotal information and the issue will become inflamed.

“The issue needs to be done calmly but I think there is a recognition that it is a proper thing to do.”

Historic England was one of 25 heritage bodies and charities called in to Whitehall last week for a summit to discuss how they present Britain’s past.