Church of England’s Dark Past: 18th Century Archbishop of Canterbury Approved Payments for Enslaved People in Barbados
Lambeth Palace documents show purchase of enslaved people in 18th century approved by Anglican archbishop
Archival documents reveal that Thomas Secker, an 18th-century Archbishop of Canterbury, approved payments for purchasing enslaved individuals for two sugar plantations in Barbados. The Observer reports that Secker sanctioned a reimbursement of £1,093 for acquiring enslaved people for the Codrington Plantations and also hired enslaved labor from third parties. These actions were described as "calculated for the future lasting advantages of the estates."
These revelations stem from documents in the Lambeth Palace Library, detailing the Church of England's involvement in chattel slavery through its missionary arm, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG). In response, current Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, expressed deep sorrow. "Every new piece of evidence around the Church’s involvement in the slave trade is sobering," he said. "Reading that a former archbishop was involved in the purchase of enslaved people is particularly painful."
Welby emphasized the need for continued research into the Church's historical role in slavery, acknowledging it as a "blasphemy against God’s creation." He committed to uncovering more about this dark chapter, realizing it could take generations.
The SPG inherited the two sugar plantations in 1710 from colonial administrator Christopher Codrington. His will required the plantations to be worked by 300 enslaved people and to fund a college. These plantations reportedly generated the equivalent of £5 million annually in today’s currency. Established in 1701 by royal charter to convert people in the colonies, the SPG's governance meetings were often chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Successive archbishops served as SPG presidents throughout the period that enslaved individuals worked on these plantations, from 1710 to 1838.
Documents from meetings chaired by Secker in 1758 and 1760 show that payments were approved for the purchase of “new negroes” and hired enslaved labor. Trevor Prescod, a Barbados MP and chair of the Barbados National Taskforce on Reparations, said this evidence implicates the Church at the highest levels. "The church was at the center of establishing slavery and was probably one of the biggest benefactors," he said. "It now has a responsibility to compensate all the victims of slavery."
Enslaved people on the Church's Barbados plantations were branded and forced to work under harsh conditions. A 1781 document lists 73 children among the enslaved people. In 2006, the Church of England apologized for its involvement in the slave trade and operation of the Codrington Plantations, but it had not previously acknowledged the role of an Archbishop of Canterbury in funding the purchase of enslaved Africans.
Last year, the Church Commissioners, who manage the Church’s financial assets, published a report on the Church's financial links to chattel slavery through the Queen Anne’s Bounty, a fund for supplementing clergy income. They pledged £100 million to address past wrongs. An independent oversight group advising the Church Commissioners recommended in March that the Church fund research to uncover the full extent of its involvement in African chattel slavery and the use of wealth derived from it.
In September, the United Society Partners in the Gospel, the successor to the SPG, issued an apology for its role in chattel slavery at its plantations, recognizing these acts as "crimes against humanity." They admitted that enslaved people were branded and lacked proper care, leading to many deaths.
The Church Commissioners affirmed their commitment to further research, recognizing that their archives likely contain more information on the Church’s involvement in African chattel enslavement. "This includes the Codrington Plantations," they stated, referencing a recently discovered letter that shows senior-level awareness of the horrors of enslavement on these plantations. This letter has been published on the Lambeth Palace Library website, alongside findings of their research into the Church Commissioners’ links to African chattel enslavement.
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