Wakefield Museums and Castles

Charlie Williams dressed in a royal robe and crown, and is holding a spear decorated with insignia of a tribe, as opposed to a sceptre similar to the Crown Jewels. He is seated, and looks quite bashful! There are people playing trumpets behind him

Black history

Our Black History section pays tribute to Black lives and stories from the Wakefield district. It aims to celebrate Black pride, joy and achievements. However, we know we have a long way to go in expanding this aspect of our collection.

This section also explores objects and stories in our collection that relate to the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

At the moment, we have more objects relating to slavery than we do to Black pride.

We’d love your help in changing that. Do you have an object or story relating to Black history in the Wakefield district? Please get in touch with us at museums@wakefield.gov.uk.

Thanks to the Wakefield Council Global Majority Race Equality Network (GMREN) for supporting us with this content.

Pictured: Charlie Williams on stage, dressed in royal regalia with a spear. At a party to celebrate his MBE. Image courtesy of Barnsley Museums and Archives.

Find out more

An action shot of Charlie Williams playing football in the 1940s. He is wearing a long-sleeved football shirt with the sleeves rolled up, white shorts, socks and football boots.

Charlie Williams

Charlie Williams was one of the first post-war Black British professional footballers. He also went on to be the first famous Black British TV comedian.
Photo of a large gathering of staff for prize-giving day at St George's Hospital, Rothwell. Many are dressed in nurse's uniforms, some appear to be doctors, and others are in smart plain-clothes. There are several nurses who are Women of Colour and a male doctor who is potentially also a Person of Colour

St George's Hospital, 1966

This is a photograph from a prize-giving at St George's Hospital, 1966. It shows how a diverse workforce was of increasing importance.
Illustration of Eliza and Helen Edmonstone with baby Edmund

Eliza, Anne and Helen Edmonstone

Explore the lives of Eliza, Anne and Helen Edmonstone, three mixed race sisters who married into Charles Waterton's family.
John Edmonstone sat at a desk demonstrating taxidermy techniques to a young Charles Darwin

John Edmonstone

John Edmonstone (179? - c.1833) was a formerly enslaved person who went on to become a celebrated taxidermist. He taught a young Charles Darwin.
A flyer advertising a lecture by W Howard Day in Wakefield

Anti-slavery campaigning in Wakefield

In the mid-1800s Wakefield was very active in anti-slavery campaigning. Find out about two important Black American guest speakers who visited Wakefield.
'Sugar nippers', a metal tool that looks like a pair of pliers or scissors with rounded edges

Sugar nippers not shackles

Some objects in our collection reveal the 'hidden histories' of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. They show how ordinary households in Britain profited from slavery.

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