{"id":19165,"date":"2025-11-26T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/?p=19165"},"modified":"2025-11-25T09:41:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T09:41:32","slug":"black-participation-in-british-politics-1750-1850","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2025\/11\/26\/black-participation-in-british-politics-1750-1850\/","title":{"rendered":"Black and Political: Reconstructing Black Participation in British Politics, 1750-1850"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At a special joint session of the IHR\u2019s Parliaments, Politics and People<\/a> and British History in the Long 18th<\/sup> Century<\/a> seminars on Wednesday 3 December, Dr Helen Wilson<\/a> will be discussing Black participation in British Politics between 1750 and 1850<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The free seminar takes place on 3 December 2025, between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. It is fully \u2018hybrid\u2019, which means you can attend either in-person in London at the IHR, or online via Zoom. Details of how to join the discussion are available here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 3 December 2025 I will be discussing my doctoral thesis \u2018Black & Political: Black Political Participation in Britain, 1750-1850<\/a>\u2019. My research re-examines the political landscape of the long eighteenth century through the lives of Black and mixed-heritage individuals active in British political culture.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Green<\/a>
Memorial plaque to George Africanus, image captured in 2008. You can read Helen’s earlier article about Africanus here<\/a>. CC Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Focusing on a self-built database of over 80 figures, my work combines archival research, digital methodology, and prosopography. It illuminates modes of political participation during the long eighteenth century, ranging from electoral voting and petitioning to informal political influence and community leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My paper for the seminar will reflect on the methodological challenges and opportunities involved in recovering these individuals, many of whom left fragmentary archival traces. I will explore how sources such as poll books, wills, newspapers, personal correspondence and institutional records can be read together to reconstruct political agency beyond the traditional boundaries of office-holding and elite reform circles.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A<\/a>
The burial record of Catherine Despard (c.1755-1815). You can read Helen’s earlier article on Despard here<\/a>, London, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-2003<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I will also explain how I constructed the profiles for several key individuals in my database and the methods I used to identify race and uncover instances of previously marginalised political activity.  In doing so, I will discuss how implicit markers and passing references can be used to identify race, as well as the variety of historical sources that can be used to confirm political participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importantly, my case studies illustrate both the limitations and possibilities of the historical archive for demonstrating the diverse forms of political life that have been overlooked in British historiography. In doing so, my work acknowledges the entangled histories of race, empire and politics at the heart of British political history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HW<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helen\u2019s seminar takes place on 3 December 2025, between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. It is fully \u2018hybrid\u2019, which means you can attend either in-person in London at the IHR, or online via Zoom. Details of how to join the discussion are available here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can read more about Helen\u2019s work in the following History of Parliament articles:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

H. Wilson, \u2018Profile of an 18th century Black Voter: George John Scipio Africanus\u2019<\/a>, History of Parliament <\/em>(2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

H. Wilson, \u2018The Presence of Black Voters in the 18th and 19th Centuries<\/a>\u2019, History of Parliament <\/em>(2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

H. Wilson, \u2018Catherine Despard (c.1755-1815): Wife, Mother, Radical advocate<\/a>\u2019, History of Parliament <\/em>(2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At a special joint session of the IHR\u2019s Parliaments, Politics and People and British History in the Long 18th Century seminars on Wednesday 3 December, Dr Helen Wilson will be discussing Black participation in British Politics between 1750 and 1850. The free seminar takes place on 3 December 2025, between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. It is fully \u2018hybrid\u2019, which means you can attend either in-person … Continue reading Black and Political: Reconstructing Black Participation in British Politics, 1750-1850<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":244848225,"featured_media":12252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[4706867,20918757,774275560,774275650,774275561],"tags":[68627102,35890,289248826,180521,576582119],"class_list":["post-19165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-19th-century-history","category-18th-century-history","category-georgian","category-minority-ethnic-history","category-victorian","tag-catherine-despard","tag-featured","tag-george-africanus","tag-nottingham","tag-parliaments-politics-people-seminar"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/1815-catherine-despard-burial-record-760x271-1.jpg?fit=760%2C271&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2QYNW-4Z7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3677,"url":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2019\/09\/20\/the-black-and-mixed-ethnicity-presence-in-british-politics-1750-1850\/","url_meta":{"origin":19165,"position":0},"title":"Collaborative Doctoral Award with the Open University: The Black and Mixed Ethnicity Presence in British Politics, 1750-1850","author":"History of Parliament","date":"September 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"We are pleased to announce that the History of Parliament Trust is participating in a doctoral studentship project in partnership with the Open University. Applications are invited for an Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP-funded\u00a0Collaborative Doctoral Award, for entry in 2020-21. The deadline for application to the Open University is 8 January 2020.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "History of Parliament Trust"","block_context":{"text":"History of Parliament Trust","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/category\/history-of-parliament-trust\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/jan-or-dyani-tzatzoe-tshatshu-andries-stoffles-james-read-sr-james-read-jr-john-philip-1-e1568914664819.jpg?fit=473%2C473&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4499,"url":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2020\/04\/21\/collaborative-doctoral-award-with-the-open-university-the-black-and-mixed-ethnicity-presence-in-british-politics-1750-1850-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":19165,"position":1},"title":"Collaborative Doctoral Award with the Open University: The Black and Mixed Ethnicity Presence in British Politics, 1750-1850","author":"History of Parliament","date":"April 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"We are pleased to announce that the History of Parliament Trust is participating in a doctoral studentship project in partnership with the Open University. Applications are invited for an Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP-funded\u00a0Collaborative Doctoral Award, for entry in 2020-21. The deadline for application to the Open University is 15 June 2020.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Conferences, Seminars and Events"","block_context":{"text":"Conferences, Seminars and Events","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/category\/topics\/conferencesseminars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/jan-or-dyani-tzatzoe-tshatshu-andries-stoffles-james-read-sr-james-read-jr-john-philip-1-e1568914664819.jpg?fit=473%2C473&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19716,"url":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2026\/02\/10\/representations-of-women-and-sovereign-power-at-the-new-palace-of-westminster-1841-1870\/","url_meta":{"origin":19165,"position":2},"title":"‘Unobtrusive But Not Unimportant’: Representations of Women and Sovereign Power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870","author":"History of Parliament","date":"February 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 17 February,\u00a0Dr Cara Gathern of UK Parliament Heritage Collections, will be discussing\u00a0representations of women and sovereign power at the New Palace of Westminster, 1841-1870. The seminar takes place on 17 February 2026, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. It is fully\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "19th Century history"","block_context":{"text":"19th Century history","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/category\/centuries\/19th-century-history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A statue of a queen on a throne with two women to either side","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/OR-WOA-S088-Victoria-Statue-Gibson-622x862-featured.png?fit=615%2C337&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/OR-WOA-S088-Victoria-Statue-Gibson-622x862-featured.png?fit=615%2C337&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/OR-WOA-S088-Victoria-Statue-Gibson-622x862-featured.png?fit=615%2C337&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10665,"url":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2023\/01\/11\/politics-before-democracy-conference\/","url_meta":{"origin":19165,"position":3},"title":"Politics before Democracy\u00a0Conference","author":"History of Parliament","date":"January 11, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Call for Papers, deadline \u2013 17 February 2023 The History of Parliament and the School of History, University of East Anglia, would like to invite proposals for papers for \u2018Politics Before Democracy: Britain and its world, c.1750-1914\u2019. This two-day conference, hosted at UEA on 19-20 April 2023, will bring together\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Conferences, Seminars and Events"","block_context":{"text":"Conferences, Seminars and Events","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/category\/topics\/conferencesseminars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/parliament-unreformed-2.webp?fit=1024%2C737&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/parliament-unreformed-2.webp?fit=1024%2C737&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/parliament-unreformed-2.webp?fit=1024%2C737&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/parliament-unreformed-2.webp?fit=1024%2C737&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16978,"url":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2025\/04\/29\/the-speakers-house-and-the-evolution-of-the-speakership-1794-1834\/","url_meta":{"origin":19165,"position":4},"title":"The Speaker’s House and the Evolution of the Speakership, 1794\u20131834","author":"History of Parliament","date":"April 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on 6 May 2025, Dr Murray Tremellen of York Museums Trust will be discussing 'The Speaker's House and the Evolution of the Speakership, 1794\u20131834\u2019 . The seminar takes place on 6 May 2025, between 5:30 and 6.30 p.m. It will be hosted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Georgian"","block_context":{"text":"Georgian","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/category\/periods\/georgian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ycba_70895f03-5759-4cce-9291-669d67491e3e.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ycba_70895f03-5759-4cce-9291-669d67491e3e.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ycba_70895f03-5759-4cce-9291-669d67491e3e.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ycba_70895f03-5759-4cce-9291-669d67491e3e.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ycba_70895f03-5759-4cce-9291-669d67491e3e.jpg?fit=1200%2C866&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6485,"url":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2021\/01\/12\/chartist-pantheon-of-heroes\/","url_meta":{"origin":19165,"position":5},"title":"Romantic Memory: Forgetting, Remembering and Feeling in the Chartist Pantheon of Heroes, c.1790\u20131840","author":"History of Parliament","date":"January 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Ahead of Tuesday\u2019s\u00a0Virtual IHR\u00a0Parliaments, Politics and People seminar,\u00a0we hear from Dr Matthew Roberts, the author of\u00a0Chartism, Commemoration and the Cult of the Radical Hero (2020). He will be responding to your questions about his research on the politics of memory in the Chartist movement between 5:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Conferences, Seminars and Events"","block_context":{"text":"Conferences, Seminars and Events","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/category\/topics\/conferencesseminars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/1.peoplescharter.png?fit=916%2C612&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/1.peoplescharter.png?fit=916%2C612&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/1.peoplescharter.png?fit=916%2C612&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/1.peoplescharter.png?fit=916%2C612&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/244848225"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19165"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19187,"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19165\/revisions\/19187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}