About TREE

The Trust for Records of Enslavement and Emancipation (TREE) exists to preserve and interpret original documents from the era of slavery and abolition.
Our work connects 18th and 19th century Caribbean archives to the British institutions, families, and legacies they shaped, making these records accessible through exhibitions, education resources, and digital storytelling.

This publication shares the research, reflections, and discoveries behind TREE’s growing archive: the personal letters, inventories, and appraisals that reveal how people’s lives were catalogued, priced, and silenced, and how those same records can now speak for truth, remembrance, and repair.

Founders

Matt Johnston

Founder of the Trust for Records of Enslavement and Emancipation (TREE), Matt Johnston is a public historian, speaker, and custodian of a nationally significant archive of original slavery-era documents.

After more than a decade of leadership in the British Army and defence consulting, he founded TREE to preserve, interpret, and publicly share records of Britain’s role in enslavement and emancipation. He is also a Royal Humane Society Testimonial on Parchment recipient for lifesaving action.

Through TREE, Matt transforms inherited family archives into shared educational resources that connect archival truth with contemporary understanding.
His evidence-led approach has informed national broadcasters and heritage organisations on ethical language and representation, and his talks combine historical insight with lived custodianship, showing how the past can be made tangible, responsible, and relevant today.

Sunday Johnston

Sunday Johnston is a young public historian and speaker whose work with the Trust for Records of Enslavement and Emancipation (TREE) bridges education, heritage, and creative expression.

As a founding contributor to TREE, she helps present and interpret original slavery-era documents alongside her father, Matt Johnston, bringing an intergenerational perspective to the Foundation’s outreach.

Sunday has developed educational resources now used in schools and has spoken at national heritage venues about remembrance, identity, and the responsibility of young people in preserving history.
Her talks demonstrate how curiosity, empathy, and evidence can connect past lives with present learning, inspiring others to engage with history in a living, personal way.

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