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99b98c0d-2f11-4aab-a52e-9fa9cb6d5be2


COMMISSIONG: UNESCO SHOULD BE BRIEFED ON BENJAMIN BENSON

Sarah Lagan
Created: Mar 14, 2024 07:52 AM (Updated: Mar 14, 2024 03:13 PM)
18 Comments
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Esten House, circled, from an album of original watercolour paintings and
sketches of Bermuda by Johnson Savage, Royal Artillery, between 1833 and 1836
(Image supplied by the National Museum of Bermuda)

The historical significance of a building in St George’s that was the property
of a slave owner should be highlighted to visiting Unesco officials, it has been
argued.

Unesco representatives are due to return to the island this month for the first
time in 24 years after the Government invited them to conduct an “advisory
mission” to review Olde Towne World Heritage Site.

Rolfe Commissiong, a former Progressive Labour Party MP and race adviser to two
former PLP premiers, said the visit offers a unique opportunity to promote the
contents of a document unearthed in 2022 by Neil Kennedy, an associate professor
at the Memorial University of Newfoundland.



The title page to an 1847 narrative by Benjamin Benson, an enslaved Bermudian
who documented life before and after Emancipation (Image supplied)

The document suggests that Esten House, which is now the location of The White
Horse Pub and Restaurant, may have been the birthplace of Benjamin Benson, who
was born into slavery in 1818 and later sold in the United States.

Mr Benson’s perspective of slavery in Bermuda, A Narrative of the Life of
Benjamin Benson, was published in 1847 by an English physician named Andrew
Welch.

Esten House was the property of John Davenport, who owned Mr Benson’s mother. It
is suggested by Dr Kennedy that if the mother remained in Davenport’s control,
Benjamin Benson may have been born in the house.


Rolfe Commissiong, former Progressive Labour Party MP, is calling for
recognition of a building in St George that was the property of a prominent
slave owner (File photograph)

Mr Commissiong said that the Unesco delegation “may be in for a surprise” if
they hear of the recent unearthing of the story of an enslaved person of African
descent born in Bermuda by the name of Benjamin Benson.

“I believe that it's not only the buildings, it’s also monuments and great works
of art that are important within the Unesco context, but the respective human
civilisation that created them or which were affected by it,” Mr Commissiong
said. “The story of Benjamin Benson, as does that of Mary Prince, illustrates
this precisely.

“Davenport owned as his property a place that virtually every Bermudian and tens
of thousands of tourists have visited over the decades, and that place was
called, during the time of the Davenport's ownership, Esten House, known today
as the legendary White Horse Pub and Restaurant on King’s Square.”

Mr Commissiong, who wrote a series of articles in The Royal Gazette in 2022 on
the rediscovery of the narrative, said that it is certain some of Davenport’s
enslaved chattel worked on the property.

He added: “Ultimately, I do think that this site in the Olde Towne should be a
must visit on the African Diaspora Trail throughout the prescribed season. Also,
a plaque should be erected to provide some background to this very human story.

“I would hope that these are the types of conversations that will also take
place with the Unesco team upon their arrival.

“Lastly, I will reiterate again that the Government must ensure that our history
is taught in both our private and public schools. This must be legislated and
mandated.”

Elena Strong, the executive director of the National Museum of Bermuda, which
hosted a lecture by Dr Kennedy on the narrative, added: “As a grade 2 listed
building, it is already enshrined in the historic impact area and covered in the
world heritage zoning. There is already quite a bit of protection.

“However, highlighting this new connection and discovery is so important and a
reason for us to continue to preserve and protect our historic buildings. They
hold the stories of the people of the past, and as we conduct new research in
areas that were not traditionally researched, new knowledge is generated and we
get a better understanding of our collective past and how it has shaped our
present.”

Excerpt from National Museum of Bermuda blog

Benjamin Benson provides a few biographical details about his early life, but
much remains still unknown, including the origins of his surname. He “inhaled
his first breath of life as a slave”, born 16 December, 1818, at St George’s,
too early to appear in surviving parish registers.

He did not know if his parents were “lawfully married”, a vexing subject in
Bermuda during the years following Emancipation. He recalled that his father was
African-born, trafficked to the Caribbean before Bermuda.

His mother was born in Long Island, New York, and sold at age 12 to a man named
Davenport in Bermuda, almost certainly St George’s merchant John Davenport or
his father Robert.

Perhaps she was the woman named Judy, Lilly, Philippa, or less likely the young
Nancy, listed in John’s possession in the 1821 Slave Register.

If his mother remained in Davenport’s control, Benjamin may have been born in
Esten House on King’s Square in St George’s, bought earlier in 1818. His parents
had 21 children together, including twins, “one or two” dying as infants but
most surviving to adulthood.

Excerpt from National Museum of Bermuda blog

Benjamin Benson provides a few biographical details about his early life, but
much remains still unknown, including the origins of his surname. He “inhaled
his first breath of life as a slave”, born 16 December, 1818, at St George’s,
too early to appear in surviving parish registers.

He did not know if his parents were “lawfully married”, a vexing subject in
Bermuda during the years following Emancipation. He recalled that his father was
African-born, trafficked to the Caribbean before Bermuda.

His mother was born in Long Island, New York, and sold at age 12 to a man named
Davenport in Bermuda, almost certainly St George’s merchant John Davenport or
his father Robert.

Perhaps she was the woman named Judy, Lilly, Philippa, or less likely the young
Nancy, listed in John’s possession in the 1821 Slave Register.

If his mother remained in Davenport’s control, Benjamin may have been born in
Esten House on King’s Square in St George’s, bought earlier in 1818. His parents
had 21 children together, including twins, “one or two” dying as infants but
most surviving to adulthood.

In 2000, to support and manage the World Heritage Site, a standing body was
established known as the World Heritage Committee, which has representatives
from the Corporation of St George, the Bermuda National Trust, the St George’s
Foundation, and a number of other organisations.

This body is supposed to advise the Government on recommended management plans
and development proposals in the area. However, the committee has been unable to
hold meetings since the Covid-19 pandemic, in part as its purpose and powers
have not been defined.

Charlotte Andrews, head of cultural heritage at the BNT, said: “These new
discoveries about The White Horse site on King’s Square show how Bermuda’s world
heritage is an ever-expanding process.

“This example highlights how the combined efforts of researchers and other
heritage professionals and the St George’s community constantly protect, explore
and grow the Outstanding Universal Value of the town and its forts.

“Revealing such gaps in our past related to enslavement, colonialism and other
historical trauma is especially meaningful in terms of helping our community to
heal and learn from the past.”

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, told the House of
Assembly this month that the purpose of the Unesco advisory mission is to
conduct an assessment of the World Heritage Site, review developments and
planning protections for the area and engage with decision-makers.

After the mission concludes, Unesco will produce a report for the Government
that will be made available to the public.

Related Topics: St George's Slavery History Monument and heritage site
Related Stories
Photographic journey explores ‘the tales that bind us’

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Graffiti among Fort Hamilton archaeological finds

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Artefacts from 1600s finally come home to Bermuda

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trust seeks public input on expanding cultural impact

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Published March 14, 2024 at 7:52 am (Updated March 14, 2024 at 3:13 pm)


COMMISSIONG: UNESCO SHOULD BE BRIEFED ON BENJAMIN BENSON

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