Poem

In days of yore my headstone

might read: ‘Negress faithfull servant”, 

following custom paid for

by grateful owner -

evidenced by remnants of fulsome

grave scripts for mostly male,

dead, young. Unlike

Penn Uni’s recent

egregious acts

upending 'owned' Black skulls,

I roll call a few names, in no order,

exhumed from dusty files, 

paying respects again

to each and every

precious one: 

my ancestors.

Take a bow “Scipio Africanus

“Negro Servant [running footman]

Born a Pagan and a Slave

Now sweetly sleep a Christian in my grave”-

age 18 yrs. d. 21 December 1720

“after running from London”.

In Culworth, Charles Bacchus

“An African”, died March 31, 1762,

aged 16 yrs, lamented.

by Family he Serv’d...

Grateful and Humane and gave hopes

Of Proving a faithful servant

and a good man”.

Whilst in Henbury, Hester Woodley

Passed “13th May, 1767, aged 64”,

buried in Little Parndon:

“This stone erected by John Woodley ...

[in] grateful remembrance ...

[for] faithfully discharging her duty

with ... utmost intention and integrity

in the service of his late mother

to whom she belonged

and after her death

to her daughter Mary Parsons

by virtue of a reciprocal agreement ...

between said Mrs Woodley and John

whose property she would

otherwise have been at her decease”.

Regrettably, nothing’s known

of Nestor, laid to rest at Teston, Kent

Or

Everisto Muchovela from picturesque Wendron.

Also Rasselas Belfield, imprisoned

in beautiful Windemere,

“a native of Abyssinia who

departed this life aged 32

on January 16, 1832.

‘Slave by birth

I left my native land

And found my Freedom

on Britannia’s stand”.

But where’s the photo of Martilla’s grave?

The “Negro slave of Mr B of Nevis, who

Baptised October 20, 1795 [on sick bed]

was grounded January 26, 1796”.

Perhaps near the lonely boy,

“Poor Sambo,

A faithfull Negro

Who Attending his Master from the West Indies

Died on his arrival at Sunderland [Point]”

in 1736, aged a tender 14 years”.

4 years older, Samuel Alley -

Old Kirk Braddan, Isle of Man-

left this world 28th May 1822.

“Born a slave, and exposed

in early life to the corupt

influence Of that unhappy state,

became A model

of TRUTH and PROBITY,

for the more fortunate of any country

or condition...

erected by a grateful Master,

to the memory

of a faithful Servant,

who repaid the boon of

Liberty with unbounded attachment.”

Plaudits too, another Scipio [Phillip]

from Werrington (Cornwall?).

“An African servant,

Whose Qualitys might have

done Honour to any Nation

or Climate

And give us to see That Virtue

is confin’d

To No Countrey or Complexion”.

Oldest of my treasures,

John Dixon, died March 17

1811, aged 70.

“A native Black from the island of Grenada 

...respected by all who knew him....

This stone laid in remembrance

of his name ... by his late Master”.

Amen. RIP.