Thomas Clarkson Archives - Bristol Radical History Group

The Slave Decks

A retrospective account of life onboard the Hannibal slave ship

Warning – Due to the nature of the topic this article is not suitable for children The stench of the hold…was so intolerably loathsome that it was dangerous to remain there for any time…but now that the whole ship’s cargo were confined together, it became absolutely pestilential.[1] Let me begin by saying that there was nothing unique about the utterly appalling conditions that existed on the Hannibal slave ship: All merchant slave ships were floating prisons of cruelty and depravity. For the […]

History walk 1: Wulfstan to Colston and the sinews of slavery

An abolition walk

Starts and leaves outside of the front of M Shed. Our first stop will be outside of the Merchant Venturers’ Almshouses (at the Broad Quay end of King Street), where the Merchant Venturers successfully petitioned for Bristol’s involvement in the ‘African Trade’ in 1698. We will cross Queen Square to Redcliffe Street and on to the Seven Stars. This will feature Abolitionists Thomas Clarkson, Wulfstan and the Quakers. On into Castle Park and Colston’s sugar refinery, past All Saints (where Edward […]

Cry Freedom, Cry Seven Stars – Pamphlet Launch

An evening to launch the new Bristol Radical Pamphleteer title Cry Freedom, Cry Seven Stars by Mark Steeds. This is also a chance to drink beer in CAMRA's best pub in Bristol 2010 and celebrate its unique place in the history of the Abolition Movement. Including performances by the Red Notes Choir and Richard Burley. Since its formation in 2006, Bristol Radical History Group has come a long way with a staggering list of happenings and events under its belt, bringing radical history from Bristol […]

Cry Freedom Concert

Sweet Liberation (community choir), Richard Burley & Danny Ward (acoustic set), Red Notes Choir (4 part harmony), Lynda Sanderson & Pauline Setterfield (opera singer and organist). A celebration of roles played by St. Wulfstan, Thomas Clarkson and the Seven Stars pub played in gaining freedom.

Radical History Walk

Part of the Trapese Popular Education Collective's 'Start Producing the Future'. The walk will take in the scenes of some radical activism, both ancient and modern, and compare this with the actions of the 'mob'. Why did a man on a donkey in Corn Street and a Cambridge geek befriending the landlord of the Seven Stars had such an impact on the World. Why did a mob burn down Queen's Square in 1831? Who ate all the pies in 1832? What caused the Bristol Bridge Riot. Which brave man (or could it […]

Cry Freedom, Cry Seven Stars!

During the Abolition bicentenary of 2007, Bristol Radical History Group commissioned a commemorative plaque to celebrate the anti-slavery campaigner Thomas Clarkson and the Bristol sailors who provided him with evidence of the horrors of the slave trade. Join us at the site of these momentous events, the Seven Stars Pub, for the unveiling of the plaque at lunchtime. Download a Plaque unveiling invitation (650KB jpeg file) Watch highlights of the unveiling: If you see this text the video has […]

Cry Freedom, Cry Seven Stars

Thomas Clarkson In Bristol, 1787

By Mark Steeds

Cry Freedom, Cry World Heritage Site In 1787 abolitionist Thomas Clarkson researched the slave trade with help from Landlord Thompson while staying at The Seven Stars public house in Bristol. This pamphlet looks at how the histories of the pub and the abolition movement are intertwined, and why it should be the first pub to have UNESCO World Heritage status. The Seven Stars public house is one of the most important buildings in the entire history of Bristol, if not the country. It stands as a […]

Mo’ Media

By Randell Brantley

A longer version of The Seven Stars Plaque unveiling video has been added to the archive. Audio from the Hillsborough: What Really Happened has also been added to the archive.

The Plaque Unveiled

By Randell Brantley

The Thomas Clarkson Plaque was unveiled on the Seven Stars pub yesterday in front of a crowed of about 70 people. After a few short speeches Richard Hart cut the string and the curtains fell away to reveal the plaque in all its glory. If you see this text the video has failed to play. Please let us know by emailing brh@brh.org.uk. There is a small story about the plaque on the BBC website and one on thisisbristol. Richard Hart unveiling the plaque. The Thomas Clarkson plaque on the Seven Stars […]

Seven Stars Plaque Video

By Randell Brantley

Bristol Radical History Group are currently raising money to pay for a new plaque on the Seven Stars Pub in Redcliffe. The Seven Stars is a landmark in the abolition of slavery and where Thomas Clarkson began his research into the conditions on transatlantic slave ships. The fund raising has reached a point where Mike Baker has been able to start work on the mould. Alex Milne went down to Mike's workshop and interviewed Mike as he worked. Find out more about the Seven Stars Plaque. To see this […]