I Rise
Like the phoenix rising from the ashes
Moments in time is an archive of historical events, people and places.
Britain’s 1919 race riots started at the end of the First World War starting with an outbreak of violence in Glasgow in January, race riots happened around the United Kingdom until late in the summer, including in Liverpool, Hull, Cardiff, Salford, Newport and South Shields. There were several outbreaks in the East End of London, …
Charles Wotten was a 24-year-old ship’s fireman from Bermuda who was murdered by an angry white mob during the Liverpool race riots of 1919. What led to Charles Wotten’s murder? Since the 16th century, the Black presence in London and Liverpool had been noticeable but Liverpool’s Black population grew dramatically during the war as Black …
Queen Anna Nzinga was a 17th-century African ruler who ruled the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms of the Mbundu people in Angola and fought against the slave trade and European influence in Angola. Anna Nzinga was born in 1581 in Kabasa, the capital of the Kingdom of Ndongo, which was ruled by a Mbundu-speaking people called …
Olaudah Equiano (c.1745-1797) was an eighteenth-century African writer whose experiences as a slave prompted him to become involved in the British abolition movement. Early years Equiano was born in c1745 in what is now Nigeria to an Ibo chief. He was captured by slave traders and sold into slavery at the age of 11. He …
What is Notting Hill Carnival? Notting Hill Carnival is a 3-day annual event that takes place on the streets of Notting Hill during late August bank holiday weekend. It’s a huge tourist attraction and an opportunity for everyone to come together and enjoy music, parades, food and other aspects of black culture. The carnival follows …
Claudia Jones was a feminist, political activist, pioneering journalist, and visionary. She is known for being the ‘Mother of Caribbean Carnival in Britain’. Early years Claudia Jones was born on 21 February 1915 in Belmont, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. At the age of eight, her family emigrated to Harlem, New York following the post-war cocoa price crash …
The London Borough of Lewisham is a multicultural borough with a large Black and Asian community as many of the Windrush generation settled in Lewisham from the late 40s onwards. Just like Brixton and Notting Hill, Lewisham has experienced its share of racism and fascist uprisings. It was in Lewisham, that British fascism suffered …
Israel’s control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza has been referred to as an “occupation” for decades. Yet until recently, many people have not fully understood the significance of the historical event that led to Israel occupying Palestinian territory since 1967. The history of this conflict is long and complex, but understanding it …
Miss Read (17 April 1913 – 7 April 2012) Miss Read was the pen name of Dora Saint, who wrote over thirty books from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s. Dora Jessie Shafe was born on 17 April 1913 in South Norwood, London, the youngest of three daughters of Arthur Shafe and his wife Grace Read. …
When I was writing about the Catford Broadway Theatre I was lucky enough to get into an email conversation with the daughter of Norman D’Alquen, a local Forest Hill businessman and amateur photographer who took the picture of the theatre under construction in 1932. I found his history interesting and hope you do too. Norman …
Lewisham’s famous women: Rosa May Billinghurst ( 1875 – 1953) Rosa May Billinghurst (commonly known as May Billinghurst) was born on 31 May 1875 at 35 Granville Park, Lewisham. She was the second of nine children. Her father, Henry Billinghurst, was a banker. Her mother, Rosa Brinsmead, was the daughter of a wealthy piano manufacturer. …
6 February 2018 marked 100 years since the Representation of the People Act 1918 – the act which allowed some women in the UK the right to vote. This was a major landmark in the history of our democracy. Influential consideration Only 58% of the adult male population was eligible to vote before 1918. An …
Lewisham’s famous women: Edith Lanchester (1871-1966) Many people know of famous Catford born actress Elsa Lanchester, but what do you know of her socialist and feminist mother, Edith? Edith ‘Biddy’ Lanchester was born in Hove, Sussex on 28 July 1871. She was the fifth child of a family of eight. Her parents were Henry Jones …
In the nineteenth century, women had no place in national politics. They could not stand as candidates for Parliament. They were not even allowed to vote. It was assumed that women did not need the vote because their husbands would take responsibility in political matters. A woman’s role was seen to be child-rearing and taking …
Lewisham’s famous women: Clemence Dane (1888-1965) Clemence Dane was born Winifred Ashton on 21 February 1888 in Westcombe Park Road, Blackheath. In 1897 the family moved to 22 Westwood Hill, Sydenham in the borough of Lewisham, where they stayed until 1901. During this period young Winifred attended Sydenham High School. Her family then moved out …
Lewisham’s famous women: Eleanor Marx (1855 – 1898) Although commonly remembered as the daughter of Karl Marx, Eleanor Marx achieved a great deal in her own right as a feminist, a socialist, a translator, a journalist and an editor. Eleanor lived in Jews Walk, Sydenham in the borough of Lewisham, from 1895 to 1898. Eleanor …
Lewisham’s famous women: Marie Lloyd (1870-1922) Marie Lloyd is considered to be the greatest and most popular of the music hall artists, lived for several years in Lewisham, between 1887 and 1893. The house where she lived, 196 Lewisham Way, called Lewisham High Road back then, no longer exists. The site was covered by the …
This post in is honour of Colin Kaepernick and the people who are currently participating in civil rights activities to highlight the injustices around the world. Whilst Black History Month is a great time to remember civil rights leaders of the past who fought for equality and justice, we cannot forget that racism and inequality …
The picture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving the Black Power Salute is iconic and instantly recognisable to many. But few people know of the bravery and tragedy of the other guy, the third man. Australian runner Peter Norman, who won silver at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City actually stood in solidarity on …
Africa is the second largest continent in the world made up of 54 countries. There are many different religions in Africa and some of them have been celebrating their faith, telling their stories and teaching their principles for thousands of years. Islam has been in Africa for so long since its beginning on the Arabian …
Mansa Musa was the first African Muslim king to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. He was also the richest person in all history with a £321 ($400) billion fortune. Much richer than Bill Gates, the Rockefeller’s and the Rothschild family. Musa Keita I came into power in 1312 following the death of his predecessor, Abu-Bakr …
Walter Tull was one of Britain’s first black footballers and a First World War hero. Walter Tull was born in Folkestone, Kent on 28 April 1888. His father Daniel Tull, the son of a slave had arrived in Britain from Barbados in 1876 and found work as a carpenter. Daniel Tull married Alice Elizabeth Palmer. …
Back in 2012, plans were proposed to downgrade Lewisham Hospital by closing its Accident and Emergency services and Maternity unit. The people of Lewisham and elsewhere, came together to protest the decision by signing petitions, marching and challenging the decision in court. In 2013 the High Court quashed Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt’s …
The Broadway Theatre, Catford has had many names over the decades. It started out as a concert hall extension to Lewisham Town Hall called uninspiringly “Town Hall Extension”. In 1926, Lewisham Metropolitan Council decided to develop the site of an old fire station next to Catford’s Town Hall to build an auditorium for a variety …
