Commissiong: Unesco should be briefed on Benjamin Benson
The historical significance of a building in St George’s that was the property of a slave owner should be highlighted to visiting Unesco officials, it has been argued.
Unesco representatives are due to return to the island this month for the first time in 24 years after the Government invited them to conduct an “advisory mission” to review Olde Towne World Heritage Site.
Rolfe Commissiong, a former Progressive Labour Party MP and race adviser to two former PLP premiers, said the visit offers a unique opportunity to promote the contents of a document unearthed in 2022 by Neil Kennedy, an associate professor at the Memorial University of Newfoundland.
The document suggests that Esten House, which is now the location of The White Horse Pub and Restaurant, may have been the birthplace of Benjamin Benson, who was born into slavery in 1818 and later sold in the United States.
Mr Benson’s perspective of slavery in Bermuda, A Narrative of the Life of Benjamin Benson, was published in 1847 by an English physician named Andrew Welch.
Esten House was the property of John Davenport, who owned Mr Benson’s mother. It is suggested by Dr Kennedy that if the mother remained in Davenport’s control, Benjamin Benson may have been born in the house.
Mr Commissiong said that the Unesco delegation “may be in for a surprise” if they hear of the recent unearthing of the story of an enslaved person of African descent born in Bermuda by the name of Benjamin Benson.
“I believe that it's not only the buildings, it’s also monuments and great works of art that are important within the Unesco context, but the respective human civilisation that created them or which were affected by it,” Mr Commissiong said. “The story of Benjamin Benson, as does that of Mary Prince, illustrates this precisely.
“Davenport owned as his property a place that virtually every Bermudian and tens of thousands of tourists have visited over the decades, and that place was called, during the time of the Davenport's ownership, Esten House, known today as the legendary White Horse Pub and Restaurant on King’s Square.”
Mr Commissiong, who wrote a series of articles in The Royal Gazette in 2022 on the rediscovery of the narrative, said that it is certain some of Davenport’s enslaved chattel worked on the property.
He added: “Ultimately, I do think that this site in the Olde Towne should be a must visit on the African Diaspora Trail throughout the prescribed season. Also, a plaque should be erected to provide some background to this very human story.
“I would hope that these are the types of conversations that will also take place with the Unesco team upon their arrival.
“Lastly, I will reiterate again that the Government must ensure that our history is taught in both our private and public schools. This must be legislated and mandated.”
Elena Strong, the executive director of the National Museum of Bermuda, which hosted a lecture by Dr Kennedy on the narrative, added: “As a grade 2 listed building, it is already enshrined in the historic impact area and covered in the world heritage zoning. There is already quite a bit of protection.
“However, highlighting this new connection and discovery is so important and a reason for us to continue to preserve and protect our historic buildings. They hold the stories of the people of the past, and as we conduct new research in areas that were not traditionally researched, new knowledge is generated and we get a better understanding of our collective past and how it has shaped our present.”
Benjamin Benson provides a few biographical details about his early life, but much remains still unknown, including the origins of his surname. He “inhaled his first breath of life as a slave”, born 16 December, 1818, at St George’s, too early to appear in surviving parish registers.
He did not know if his parents were “lawfully married”, a vexing subject in Bermuda during the years following Emancipation. He recalled that his father was African-born, trafficked to the Caribbean before Bermuda.
His mother was born in Long Island, New York, and sold at age 12 to a man named Davenport in Bermuda, almost certainly St George’s merchant John Davenport or his father Robert.
Perhaps she was the woman named Judy, Lilly, Philippa, or less likely the young Nancy, listed in John’s possession in the 1821 Slave Register.
If his mother remained in Davenport’s control, Benjamin may have been born in Esten House on King’s Square in St George’s, bought earlier in 1818. His parents had 21 children together, including twins, “one or two” dying as infants but most surviving to adulthood.
In 2000, to support and manage the World Heritage Site, a standing body was established known as the World Heritage Committee, which has representatives from the Corporation of St George, the Bermuda National Trust, the St George’s Foundation, and a number of other organisations.
This body is supposed to advise the Government on recommended management plans and development proposals in the area. However, the committee has been unable to hold meetings since the Covid-19 pandemic, in part as its purpose and powers have not been defined.
Charlotte Andrews, head of cultural heritage at the BNT, said: “These new discoveries about The White Horse site on King’s Square show how Bermuda’s world heritage is an ever-expanding process.
“This example highlights how the combined efforts of researchers and other heritage professionals and the St George’s community constantly protect, explore and grow the Outstanding Universal Value of the town and its forts.
“Revealing such gaps in our past related to enslavement, colonialism and other historical trauma is especially meaningful in terms of helping our community to heal and learn from the past.”
Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, told the House of Assembly this month that the purpose of the Unesco advisory mission is to conduct an assessment of the World Heritage Site, review developments and planning protections for the area and engage with decision-makers.
After the mission concludes, Unesco will produce a report for the Government that will be made available to the public.
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