Reading the Records of Enslavement
Beckford’s Tower | Thursday 2 April | 6pm–8pm
On Thursday 2 April, I will be returning to Beckford’s Tower to deliver a public talk titled Reading the Records of Enslavement.
The evening will focus on original archival documents from the TREE collection. These are administrative records connected to enslavement and emancipation in the Caribbean and Britain. They include valuations, inventories, correspondence, and newspaper material. Each document reflects the systems that sustained enslavement and the structures that followed it.
The aim of the talk is to read these records carefully and in context. When read closely, the contents reveal how language operated within those systems and how responsibility was distributed across institutions and individuals.
The session will include:
A talk examining selected documents from the archive
Contextual framing of how the records were produced and used
An opportunity to view original 18th & 19th century artefacts
Time for discussion and questions
Beckford’s Tower provides an appropriate setting for this work. As a site closely connected to Britain’s imperial and plantation histories, it allows these records to be examined within a broader architectural and cultural context.
This event is part of TREE’s ongoing public engagement work, bringing archival material into shared spaces where it can be read, considered, and discussed openly.
Details
Thursday 2 April
6pm–8pm
Beckford’s Tower (Bath)
Talk, Q&A, and artefact viewing
Tickets are £10 per person and can be booked via Beckford’s Tower website.
Attendance is limited.