A new report published on 5th November explores the extent and nature of Nottingham’s two universities’ historic links to African slavery and the transatlantic economy.
The research, commissioned by the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, illuminates the contemporary legacies of historic slavery at the two institutions. This research forms part of a wider picture of the historic connections seen across the UK higher education sector.
The launch of the report marks the start of collaboration between the Universities, staff, students and the wider Nottingham community. The report addresses the implications of the findings and discusses appropriate reparatory measures.
The report focuses on the financing of the Nottingham’s universities and specifically on donations, both by firms and by individual benefactors. It covers the period from 1875 when the first donation was made for the founding of University College Nottingham (UCN) – the educational institution from which both universities would evolve – through to a donation received by the University of Nottingham in 1960 as part of its campaign for endowment.
“The publication of this report is the first step in the University of Nottingham acknowledging these historical links and will act as a catalyst to an open dialogue between the university and its black heritage community with respect to reparative justice.”
Professor Katherine Linehan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for People and Culture at the University of Nottingham
Among the key findings from the research were:
- Benefactors of Nottingham’s universities have a variety of historic connections to the transatlantic slave economy. These include: The ownership of enslaved African people. The manufacture of cash crops cultivated by enslaved Africans. Governorship of British West Indian colonies during the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Four of Nottingham’s most prominent industries – textiles, tobacco, banking, and pharmaceuticals – have historical ties to the transatlantic slave economy. This included numerous benefactors in each sector providing gifts which benefitted Nottingham’s universities.
- Between 36% and 44% of total private donations received were made by eight patrons with historic links to the transatlantic slave economy.
- 43% of the private donations made to UCN’s 1928 endowment campaign derived from the textile, tobacco and banking sectors.
- 26% of the private donations made to the University of Nottingham’s 1949-50 endowment campaign were from the textile, banking and tobacco sectors.
- A number of locations are named after benefactors with links to the transatlantic slave economy. These include Portland Building, Portland Hill Road, Trent Building, and the Bentinck Room.
A separate report on the links of Nottingham Government School of Design was published on its website in 2023. This can be viewed on the NTU website.
More information is available from Emma Thorne, Head of News in the Press Office at The University of Nottingham. Contact Emma on +44 (0)115 846 8092 or by email at emma.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk