Ignatius Sancho (1729 -1780)He was born on a slave ship and baptised at Cartagena (Spanish America) and brought to England when two years of age. Sancho was then given to three sisters in Greenwich as a slave-servant and describes this part of his life thus: "The first part of my life was rather unlucky, as I was placed in a family who judged ignorance the best and only security for obedience. A little reading and writing I got by unwearied application – the latter part of my life has been – thro’ God’s blessing, more fortunate." His plight was noted by John, 2nd Duke of Montagu who “brought him frequently home to the Duchess, indulged his turn for reading with presents of books and strongly recommended to his mistresses the duty of cultivating a genius of such apparent fertility.” He entered service with the Montagu family in 1749/50 and rose to become butler – when the Duchess of Montagu died in 1751 he was left a legacy of £70 and annuity of £30 a year. Having left the household, he is noted as being somewhat profligate with his money, both on gambling and women but gaining a large circle of friends in the theatrical world. In 1758 he returns to service with the Montagu family, acting as a valet to the 3rd Duke of Montagu and was able to marry Anne Osborne on the 17th of December. He was able to take advantage of the Families enthusiasm for art, literature and music and produced and published several works himself. 1766 saw the publication of a letter to Laurence Sterne and he became widely known as a man of letters. Painted by Gainsborough in about 1768 as a superior servant, he retires from service in 1773 and sets up a grocery store with varied callers to his shop including aristocrats and other patrons. As a financially-independent male householder living in Westminster, he qualified to vote in parliamentary elections of 1774 and 1780, and is the first known black person of African origin to have done so in Britain. He died on December 14th 1780, receiving an obituary in the Gentleman’s Magazine and in 1782 his Letters were published to great success with 1181 subscribers including the Prime Minister, Lord North.
CharlesPortrayed in the painting of Lady Mary Churchill, Duchess of Montagu. Attributed to Enoch Seeman in the 1720s. He is identified in the family cash books as “ye Black of her Grace” and “The Boy Charles” and unusually was paid wages as a servant. The cash books reveal that he was educated, nursed when ill and clothed in fine livery or exotic outfits. Indeed, his shoes were made by the Duchess’s own shoe maker. |
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