A history professor discussed how a 19th-century incident involving a Bermudian ship influenced the slave trade at the Bermuda National Gallery this week.

Neil Kennedy, professor of Atlantic History at Memorial University in Canada, spoke during the annual Robinson/Packwood memorial lecture on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman said the presentation, organised by the Department of Culture, “focused on a 1827 incident involving a Bermudian ship in the international slave trade, tracing its repercussions across the Atlantic and demonstrating how it influenced laws, policies and discussions surrounding the intercolonial slave trade”.

Dr Kennedy’s research centres on the history of slavery, resistance and emancipation in Bermuda, includes archaeological and historical work at Hog Bay and Castle Island and has been published in the Journal of Caribbean History and Slavery & Abolition.

Stephan Johnstone, founder of local creative studio SJD World Ltd, hosted the event and Matthew Johnston performed poetry.

Owen Darrell, the Minister of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, said: “Events such as the Robinson/Packwood memorial lecture remind us that understanding our history is essential to understanding who we are today.

“This annual event provides an important opportunity for us to deepen our knowledge of our shared past and consider the lessons it offers for our future.”