Barclay's (Martin's) Bank Doors Linked to Slavery?

There are people in this city who will tell you that every carved ship on an old building is a slave ship. Sadly, these demagogues seem to attract popular attention.

I think it is right to say that Liverpool was enriched in monetary terms by the slave trade but it was also at the time the most important port in the UK which meant its wealth came primarily from the movement of these goods through the port and city to around the country. The slave element was a part of this but by no means the majority. Ships were docking and unloading every day with an abundance of items if there was a slave ship every day within a short time Africa would have been empty (a bit like Poland )This came from other goods such as sugar,molasses ,tobacco,timber,wheat, etc.

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Originally Posted by essexscouse

I think it is right to say that Liverpool was enriched in monetary terms by the slave trade but it was also at the time the most important port in the UK which meant its wealth came primarily from the movement of these goods through the port and city to around the country. The slave element was a part of this but by no means the majority. Ships were docking and unloading every day with an abundance of items if there was a slave ship every day within a short time Africa would have been empty (a bit like Poland )This came from other goods such as sugar,molasses ,tobacco,timber,wheat, etc.

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The name for it was the Triangle Trade - and its triangular nature ensured that the slavery element could always be seen as marginal, because the transport of slaves was kept to one side of that triangle, the side that didn't involve Liverpool directly.

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Originally Posted by John Doh

The name for it was the Triangle Trade - and its triangular nature ensured that the slavery element could always be seen as marginal, because the transport of slaves was kept to one side of that triangle, the side that didn't involve Liverpool directly.

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Lord Mansfield, the Lord Chief Justice's 'advice' to the jury in ruling over the case of the Liverpool ship Zong in 1783 said:

'The matter left to the jury was whether it was necessary that the slaves were thrown into the sea, for they had no doubt that the case of slaves was the same as if horses had been thrown overboard.'

The assumption was that 'african' slaves were not human, though an increasing body of evidence suggested otherwise throughout the 1700's. The middle passage of the triangle ensured that normal 'decent' people need not come into contact with the Guinea trade - which presumably would have ceased sooner if they had?

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Originally Posted by dazza

Ressurecting another old thread - St Martin's Bank decorative door jambs - Terry Cavanagh writing in the Public Sculpture of Liverpool says:

"The stone jambs are decorated with panels carved with an old man of the sea - noted the webbed fingers and 'Assyrian'-shaped webbed beard. He places his hands upon the heads of two back-to-back boys holding moneybags, anchors and ropes. Either side of the old man's bald head are dolphins"

I don't think this has anything to do with slavery. Only the Town Hall freize [already mentioned by Chris] and the Street names, are [I think] the only references left in the city to slavery. The town/ city was perhaps was clinical in removing any past references, or reminders of the 'Guinea' trade.

The 4th Custom House at the head of the Old Dock, which was still standing in 1826 carried negro heads on some of the key-stones. I assume this would be on the lintel above the window heads?

Thomas Clarkson the abolitionist bought "Iron instruments used in this cruel traffic” from a Liverpool shop during one of his visits to the port. The details appeared in Clarkson’s History of the Abolition of the African Slave.

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There's a similar sculpture to the Martin's Bank sculptures on the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., among a series of relief sculptures showing Americans at Work, Past & Present.

One of the panels in D.C. shows an African handing over an elephant's tusk for a bag of money. Some could choose to interpret that relief as showing the slave trade although to my mind it's part of an effort just to show commerce over the centuries, and so is appropriate for the type of scene you might want for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission building when it was built in the Art Deco period of the early Twentieth Century.

Of course today such a depiction might not be "politically correct" both because of depiction of the ivory trade, now illegal, as well as the idea that some Africans made money off African resources, whether it be the gold, diamonds, ivory or, yes, the black gold of slavery.

Best regards

Chris

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Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge

There's a similar sculpture to the Martin's Bank sculptures on the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C.

One of the panels in D.C. shows an African handing over an elephant's tusk for a bag of money. Some could choose to interpret that relief as showing the slave trade although to my mind it's part of an effort just to show commerce over the centuries, and so is appropriate for the type of scene you might want for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission building when it was built in the Art Deco period of the early Twentieth Century.

Of course today such a depiction might not be "politically correct" both because of depiction of the ivory trade, now illegal, as well as the idea that some Africans made money off African resources, whether it be the gold, diamonds, ivory or, yes, the black gold of slavery.

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Hi Chris - sorry, I must have missed your reply when you first posted it.

Elephant's tusks [and head] appear on Liverpool Town Hall's frieze. They sit next to other African animals: bison, crocodile, camel, lion. And also, what appears to be an African child's head wearing a plume of ostrich feathers. The east elevation [and frieze] dates from 1754. So another 53 years until ban on Slavery took hold. These are undoubtedly symbols of the fruits of Liverpool commence at that time.

The African child's head wearing the ostrich feathers is puzzling? Symbolically in Egypt, "ostrich feathers" have represented 'justice, righteousness and truth' which seems an odd message to put out considering the African trade. However, some panels have symbols of England in them - 'a spray of oak' in the lion panel [although this was installed much later, designed in 1792]. If the headdress was English inspired rather than African, the 'three ostrich feathers' could symbolise something more akin to the Prince of Wales' herald, which usually carried the words "Ich Dien" ["I serve"] beneath it?

Can someone please post some photo's of the east facing Town Hall frieze panels? The side looking towards the museum. Thanks.



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Hi Dazza

Thanks, Dazza. The African child's head with the ostrich plumes is similar to the head on a Barbados penny of 1788, which you can see in this URL from Bolton Museums and Archive Service:

http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/coll...arbados-penny/

Chris

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Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge

Hi Dazza

Thanks, Dazza. The African child's head with the ostrich plumes is similar to the head on a Barbados penny of 1788, which you can see in this URL from Bolton Museums and Archive Service:

http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/coll...arbados-penny/

Chris

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Wow, that's amazing Chris,

The Barbados Penny [1788] carries the three ostrich feather plume [headdress to the slave] with "I Serve" written beneath. Most English people will recognise the German words "Ich Dien" meaning "I Serve" and are still printed on today's two-pence-piece which also carries the three ostrich feather plume. I'm now convinced this is the same symbolism as that displayed on Liverpool Town Hall frieze.

Thanks for that.

Daz

EDIT: The Barbados Penny - they may have used the 'Prince of Wales' three ostrich feather plume to represent the highest level of service you could attain next to the crown itself, as monarch's rule and do not serve.

IOW, the 'Prince of Wales' plume represents the highest office of service which has command over you, from which you must obey.

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Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge

Hi Dazza

Thanks, Dazza. The African child's head with the ostrich plumes is similar to the head on a Barbados penny of 1788, which you can see in this URL from Bolton Museums and Archive Service:

http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/coll...arbados-penny/

Chris

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An interesting link there,Chris!

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Originally Posted by MissInformed

i couldnt believe she wanted to change Penny Lane!
:) from the tourism aspect, it is such a sacred place for many people the world over!

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She didn't want to change Penny Lane when it was pointed out that the lane was named after Henry Penny. The stupid woman hadn't done her homework. She soon dropped it when it was pointed out who Henry Penny was.lol

Who is Henry Penny, Mickey?

Forgive my ignorance!

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Originally Posted by fortinian

Who is Henry Penny, Mickey?

Forgive my ignorance!

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James Penny,I think he means!

Which is why she wanted to change it.

Yes but it doesn't look to me as if anyone produced any evidence that Penny Lane got its name from James Penny, even though that has been the assumption. It could be just a coincidence of names.

Chris