Full Description
This book examines the character and composition of the black population of Britain between 1780 and 1830, previous studies of which have been hampered by a lack of demographic evidence. Drawing heavily from data collected from parish registers, contemporary newspapers and journals, parliamentary papers and the records of merchants involved in the slave trade, the author ventures beyond existing research to examine the age structure and sex ratios of the black population; family marriage patterns; and the occupations of black men and women.
Contents
Race Relations - "A valuable contribution to the understanding of the history of black people in Britain."
International Review of Social History - "Whereas most studies of the black population in Britain in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have focused on intellectuals, this study concentrates on the working class, which accounted for the vast majority of black people in Britain in this period. Dr Myers examines, on the basis of little used sources, the sex ratios, age structure, family patterns and occupations of black men and women to give a more complete historical impression of Britain"s black community."
Black and Asian Studies Association Newsletter - "Myers book is a useful introduction to the literature and many of the hsitoriographical arguments ...The value of her study lies in the fact that it provides useful and readable summaries of the secondary literature and the incorporation of research based on primary source material."
Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History - "A more accurate picture than any previous historian has achieved."
London Review of Books - "Until a thorough survey of all London parish records is undertaken, Myers"s book will stand as the most reliable account of the quotidian lives of London"s black community in the 18th century."
Immigrants and Minorities - "Myers" findings are a valuable contribution to the history of Britain"s black population between 1780 and 1830
