Black Equestrians

Africans in Georgian Britain have often been portrayed as victims of slavery, unfortunates at the bottom of the social heap. The reality was far more fluid and varied, with many African gentlemen sharing the same cultural and social aspirations as their fellow Englishmen.

William Austin's 1773 caricature: 'The Duchess of (Queensbury) playing at Foils with her favourite Lap Dog Mungo Expending near £10000 to make him a...' Courtesy of the Lewis Walpole Library, Yale UniversityThe African population of Georgian Britain was large, visible and vocal. The historians Kirstin Olsen and Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina have speculated that Africans may have represented a similar proportion of England’s total population as they do now. African men, women and children appear in paintings and drawings by artists, such as William Hogarth, Allan Ramsay, William Denton and Thomas Gainsborough. Moments of their lives in cities, towns and villages across the country are recorded in parish records, government papers and newspapers.

To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.

Buy Online Access  Buy Print & Archive Subscription

If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.

Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.