Chris O’Donnell, who led warmly received virtual tours of Wanstead during the first lockdown, is inviting people to take part in a further tour telling the story of the involvement of Wanstead people in the slave trade and abolition movement.
The idea for the virtual tour – you don’t actually have to leave your house – came from Wanstead curate the Reverend Tom Britt who asked Chris to review the monuments in the St Mary’s churchyard to see if there were any links to the slave trade.
“There were,” says Chris. “My tour tells the story of the slave trade through the memorials, and the churchyard outside. Slave ships, plantations, slave owners, the sugar trade, and Abolition. Wansteadians were involved in all of it.”
The tour will take place at 7.30pm on Wednesday. Taking part costs £5, which is to be split with local food charities. Email cod@hipstours.com for an invitation and instructions on paying.
Hi Chris
I won’t be around on Wednesday night but I would like to say that you should look into the church as well as the churchyard for reminders of slavery: the statue of Sir Josiah Child, whose fortune was founded on the Royal Africa Company.
Regards
Gill