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#BlackBritshHistory James Watkins was an American fugitive slave. He lived in Birmingham for several years in the 1850s, lecturing against slavery. The Narrative of the Life of James Watkins’, c. 1852-3. Ref: AX 310, Birmingham Vol. 10 #LibraryofBham #BlackBritHist
Front cover of a book. Title at the top of the page is The Narrative of the Life of James Watkins. Below this, an illustration of a male figure wearing a top hat and frockcoat typical of the mid – Victorian era. The figure is holding a piece of paper with the words Now I Am Free on it. Beneath this are details of the publication date, edition, printers and location.
February 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM
theironroom.bsky.social
#BlackBritshHistory #MapOnATuesday today is James Robertson’s map of the Island of Jamacia (1804) included in the Boulton & Watt Collection:
theironroom.wordpress.com/2022/10/17/b... Ref - MS 3147/31/84 – 86 (Accession 614066 – 614068) #LibraryofBham
Dedication of the map to the Prince of Wales in the top left of the image. A map of the county of Cornwall on the Island of Jamaica, James Robertson, 1804. The map is beneath the dedication - coastal outline with the names of locations written along the line between the land and the sea.
March 3, 2026 at 7:00 AM