Comments on: Sir John Hawkins 1532 – 1598

By: BNG

BNG — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:01:47 +0000

Without any sense of irony we have to say that he came from a time before high resolution! In Elizabethan times the artist employed by the rich patron would be obliged to not paint an unflattering portrait to some extent or other. We have seen line drawings of him in books. There must be more than one painting of him however and we found one in Wikipedia. Interestingly in our researches we found three different but related coat of arms for him. We wonder if the following book might help:- Williamson, J. A., Sir John Hawkins: The Time and the Man, Oxford, 1927

Good luck in your researches.

We wonder if you could confirm (and quote sources) that Elizabeth the 1st turned Hawkyns down when he first asked her to join with him on the business side of the project. She said something like she thought it anathema. In others words she thought slavery was against the teachings of the Bible. But when he came back with immense profit from his first voyage she joined in with him on subsequent ones. History records that as Protestant Queen she was facing the Spanish Armada backed by the Vatican. Her Realm had no navy to speak of and was short on wealth and materials.

By: Kerrie Hollihan

Kerrie Hollihan — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:56:28 +0000

I am looking for a high res image of John Hawkins’ Crest for use in my forthcoming biography Queen Elizabeth I for Kids. I discuss Hawkins’ connections to the slave trade in this book, which is written for middle grade children. Do you know where I can locate one?

Thanks,

Kerrie Hollihan

By: BNG

BNG — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:19:58 +0000

Thanks for your comment Dave. We should approach the National Trust. We have noticed that around the historic area of Hawkyn’s influence there is a tangable silence about the fact that he began the English slave trade. The slave trade is largely uncomemorated in Devon and Cornwall but we note the Devonish and Cornish place names all over Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands. (see also the ‘Local black history’ tab on our home page for more links between Devon, Cornwall and the slave trade). Plymouth itself remembers him mainly with a town square named after him. In a different part of the town is a plaque to him which we reproduce in this article (above). But all over the town among the white community is a strong desire to downplay his role in this part of English history. It is treated like a guilty secret by Plymothians who seem unaware of the tourist dollar that could be brought to their businesses. They seem equally unaware of the town’s strong role in the abolitionist cause.

By: Dave Clinch

Dave Clinch — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:49:44 +0000

My partner and I visited Buckland Abbey in September this year. We found no reference to the role of Hawkins et al in the slave trade in the exhibition for schoolchildren at this National Trust venue.

By: BNG

BNG — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:21:03 +0000

An incredible comment from Mia on this article about the birth of the English Slave trade.

It is or understanding that when Hawkyns first approached Queen Elizabeth 1st to join with him in his new enterprise she was qouted saying that she thought the idea was anathema. In other words against God’s Law. Trouble was he came back from that first trip with 400% clear profit. Given that as a protestant queen she was facing real threat from the Papist backed Spanish navy and her nation effectively had none, she sent a ship or two with Hawkyns on his second voyage. The surplus from this and subsequent slaving voyages helped fund England’s successful fight against the Spanish Armada.

So in a terrifying way Mia is correct. Further she illuminates the urgent necessity of intruducing a morality to business.

It is our opinion that a nation should not be run exclusively as a business

By: Mia

Mia — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:08:09 +0000

I agree with this article and in order to reinvent your business you need to come up with dynamic ideas from time to time

By: Han Duijvendak

Han Duijvendak — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:13:26 +0000

Thank you for your reply.
I will ask the group to send you a copy of the DVD when it’s finally finished (Mid October) and ask them whether they’d like a posting on your site. Thanks for the offer.

Yours

Han Duijvendak

By: BNG

BNG — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:06:23 +0000

As far as we are aware it’s public domain – feel free. We’d love to see a copy of the DVD. Let us know if your group would like a posting on our site.

By: Han Duijvendak

Han Duijvendak — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:30:21 +0000

Hi,

I am helping a group of secondary school students who are making a DVD about Warrington’s role in the slave trade, called ‘Behind the Golden Gates’. They would like to use the image of Hawkin’s Crest, as a visual symbol of the slave trade. Please may we have your permission to do so.

The DVD project is funded by a small grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by Warrington Humanities Network, in partnership with the International Slavery Museum Liverpool and Warrington Museum and Archive Service. When completed the DVD will be made available as a free educational resource via the Museums’ Education Departnments.

Many thanks for your consideration.

Yours,

Han Duijvendak
Media Consultant
Behind the Golden Gates project