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The tombstone of Scorpio Africanus, an AFRICAN-BORN SLAVE, which has been at St Mary’s Church in Henburuy, Bristol since 1720, has been SMASHED INTO TWO.
The inscription on the headstone reads: 'HERE / Lieth the Body of / SCIPIO AFRICANUS / Negro Servant to ye Right / Honourable Charles William / Earl of Suffolk and Bradon / who died ye 21st December / 1720 Aged 18 Years'.
The inscription on the footstone reads: 'I who was Born a PAGAN and a SLAVE / Now Sweetly Sleep a CHRISTIAN in my Grave / What tho' my hue was dark my SAViORS sight / Shall Change this darkness into radiant Light / Such grace to me my Lord on earth has given / To recommend me...
... to my Lord in Heaven / Whose glorious second coming here I wait / With saints and Angels Him to celebrate'
Most of the information we have about Scipio Africanus is inscribed on his tomb. From this we learn that he was born c1702, that he died on 12 December 1720, and that between these dates he was servant to the Earl of Suffolk and Bindon ('Bradon')
The inscription suggests he began life as a slave in the colonies, or may have been transported from Africa at a young age. If he spent time on a plantation, it is likely that he was a favoured slave, chosen to perform domestic duties, rather than working in the fields.
He must certainly have won the favour of the Earl of Suffolk, since the tomb erected displays richnessin its charming design and poetic inscription. The verse on the footstone makes it clear that Scipio Africanus had been baptised, and he may also have been legally freed.
It was commonly thought that the act of baptism freed slaves from their bondage; in this verse the condition of being a pagan seems almost to be equated with that of being a slave, whilst Christianity brings salvation, both earthly and heavenly.
'Scipio Africanus' was given to the boy by the Earl or by a previous owner; Roman names were frequently chosen for slaves. The original Scipio Africanus (236-184 BC) was a great general of the ancient world, who became known as 'Africanus' after defeating Hannibal at Carthage.
We know very little about the lives of individual men, women and children brought to England as slaves. Graves represent one of the few forms of tangible evidence regarding the existence of slaves in England, and such graves are rare; the vast majority died without trace.
...this record of Scipio Africanus's history serves to remind us of the many histories which have been lost.
