Exhibition Sheds Light on Rotherham’s Black Georgian Community

An exhibition investigating the black Georgian community in Rotherham has opened at Wentworth Woodhouse. The display, titled Fractured, aims to reveal some of the earliest documented individuals of African descent who were present at the stately home across the centuries. This project, scheduled to be exhibited for a fortnight, was developed by Dig Where You Stand, an archival justice initiative comprising artists, archivists, educators, and community members. Désirée Reynolds, the creative director, stated that their investigation concentrated on narratives predating 1945, aiming to demonstrate that people of colour were “deeply embedded” in the historical fabric of South Yorkshire. Ms Reynolds, who serves as the artist in residence at Sheffield City Archives, informed BBC Radio Sheffield: “The black Georgian community has been well documented around other places in the UK, especially in London.” “But it’s really quite new for us up here and what Dig Where You Stand is trying to do is to give them, not necessarily a voice, but a personhood so that they are real people that existed.” Ms Reynolds mentioned that during their examination of records from Wentworth Woodhouse, which encompassed staffing and payment details, they discovered names like George Senegal and Thomas Blake. Their research indicated that Mr Senegal resided at Wentworth Woodhouse for 15 years, commencing in 1763, whereas Thomas Blake was employed beginning in 1721. Ms Reynolds stated that they had previously thought the earliest individual of African descent connected to the home dated to 1725, and she described the discovery of an earlier presence as “groundbreaking.” “When we think about how long ago that was and what that means for re-narrating our region and thinking about race and identity in a different way, then this is why this kind of work is really important,” she commented. The Fractured exhibition will be open until 13 November, with visiting hours from 10:00 to 16:00 GMT.