WIREDGOV

A TV documentary, Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners, which was based on two major research projects funded by the ESRC and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), won the Specialist Factual Bafta recently.

The BBC History two-part programme led historian David Olusoga, teaming up with University College London, to delve into the archives to examine for the first time the ‘true legacy of British slave ownership’. 

Using the records of the millions of pounds paid in compensation to slave-owners for the loss of their ‘property’, the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project has documented over 46,000 individual claims and awards made to those who either owned slaves or benefited indirectly from ownership.

A major output of the research and an important source for the BBC programme is thefirst freely accessible database of Britons involved in slave-ownership. The resource helps people explore their family, local and regional histories, and help increase understanding about a national past that can often be forgotten or ignored.

This programme, which aired on BBC Two in August 2015, saw David Olusoga explore the archives to reveal the surprising range of people who owned slaves and the sheer scale of the slavery business. The programme also offered a glimpse of how the slave owners' wealth has seeped into every corner of Britain.

'Legacies of British Slave-ownership' is the umbrella for two projects based at University College London tracing the impact of slave-ownership on the formation of modern Britain: ‘Legacies of British Slave-ownership’ was funded by the ESRC and ‘Structure and significance of British Caribbean slave-ownership 1763-1833’, which runs 2013-2015, is jointly funded by the AHRC and the ESRC.

Notes for editors

1. If you would like to request a media interview with one of the researchers, please contact the AHRC press office (email d.moore-chick@ahrc.ac.uk or telephone 01793 416021).
2. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK’s largest funder of research on the social and economic questions facing us today. It supports the development and training of the UK’s future social scientists and also funds major studies that provide the infrastructure for research. ESRC-funded research informs policymakers and practitioners and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective. The ESRC also works collaboratively with six other UK research councils and Innovate UK to fund cross-disciplinary research and innovation addressing major societal challenges. The ESRC is an independent organisation, established by Royal Charter in 1965, and funded mainly by the Government.

3. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds world-class research in a wide range of subjects: ancient history, modern dance, archaeology, digital content, philosophy, English literature, design, the creative and performing arts, and many more. Each year the AHRC spends approximately £98 million to fund research and postgraduate training often in collaboration with partners. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds provide considerable economic, social and cultural benefits to the UK.

4. Images are available on the AHRC website or from the Bafta website