Multi-Cultural Manchester

Even prior to the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948, historical sources in the Greater Manchester County Record Office (with Manchester Archives) reveal, there has been a Black presence in Manchester since the eighteenth century.

We have discovered numerous entries in the parish registers from the 1700s-1800s. The on-line exhibition 'The Story of Juba Royton' tells us about these entries.

We have recently received some prison records and these sometimes contain details of black people. The following entry was discovered by one of our customers, Mr. Gerard Lodge , in the prison register for Belle Vue Prison, Hyde Road (our ref GB127.M600/1/1/8):

• No. 56056
• Date of conviction: 14 July 1869
• Name: John Abdella
• For what offence: Begging
• Sentence: 14 days hard labour
• Age: 39
• Description: Height 5¾ft
• Complexion: Face Black, Hair D. Grey, Eyes Black
• Marks upon person: scars each eyebrow, low nose, nose slightly crooked, scar left cheek, two scars on chest, boil marks on back
• Trade: Hawker
• Place of birth: Africa
• Wife: E. Abdoulah, Ashley Lane

The prison registers for 1869-1877 also contains entries for (found by Mr. Gerard Lodge):

• John Abdo, "African" (M600/1/1/9 entry 62377 & M600/3/3/1 entry 1147)
• Joseph Frank, "Native of Peru" (M600/1/1/10 entry 68892)
• William Henry Stewart of 7 Byrom Street, "Native of Jamaica" (M600/1/1/10 entry 69332, M600/1/1/14 entry 7155)
• Robert Bascomb of Red Bank, "Native of Bermuda" (M600/1/1/10 entry 69509 & M600/1/1/11 entry 78684 & M600/1/1/14 entry 8551)
• Joseph Williams  "of Barbadoes" (M600/1/1/11 entry 80838; M600/1/1/12 entries 88754, 89842; M600/1/1/13 entries 940356, 94662, 98493)
• Andrew Robinson, a black American sailor (M600/1/1/11 entry 85071)
• Joseph Smith, "Native of Africa" (M600/1/1/12 entry 90459 & M600/1/1/16 entry 23168 & M600/1/1/15 entry 16197)
• Sussannah Black / Brown, place of birth "Egypt" (M600/1/1/13 entries 94089, 96381, 97367 & M600/1/1/14 entries 7064, 8392, 9360)
• Andrew Robson, described as a "Mulatto", gives excellent description of his tattoes (M600/1/1/16 entry 22491)
• Carafu, from Africa (M600/3/3/1 entry 8027)
• William C Jackson of Bury, born in New Jersey (M600/3/2/2 entry 6815)
• John Allsopp, "blackman" born in Baltimore (M600/3/2/2 entry 1270)