Black Tudors: the untold story

Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufmann was written to dispel the myth that black people only migrated to England in the twentieth century. Using historical records she pieces together the stories of ten people of African origin living in the UK during the Tudor and early Stuart reigns. 

John Blanke, a trumpter; Jacques Francis, a salvage diver; Diego, the circumnavigator with Drake; Edward Swarthye, the porter; Reasonable Blackman, the silk weaver; Mary Fillis, the Moroccan convert; Dederi Jaquoah, the Prince of River Cestos; John Anthony, Mariner of Dover; Anne Cobbi, the Tawny Moor with the Soft Skin and Cattelena of Almondsbury, Independent Singlewoman are the ten case studies chosen. These are only a sample of the Africans living as free people in England at this time but their stories combine to explain attitudes to Africans as part of the general community at the time and their place in British history.

The book is based on Miranda Kaufmann's studies for a PhD and was also used in a Future Learn course - Black Tudors -  run by Miranda Kaufmann which I did earlier this year.