Cesar Picton
Encyclopedia
Cesar Picton was enslaved in Africa at the age of six. He was brought to England by an English army officer who had been in Senegal, and in 1761 was "presented" as a servant to Sir John Phillips, a Baronet
living in Norbiton
near Kingston in Surrey
. He later became a wealthy coal merchant in Kingston.
turban
(cost 10 shilling
s and sixpence) in the rococo
fashion of the day, he became a favourite of the family, especially Lady Phillips. When Picton was about 33, Horace Walpole wrote in a letter of 1788: "I was in Kingston with the sisters of Lord Milford; they have a favourite black, who has been with them a great many years and is remarkably sensible". Lord Milford
was the son of the Phillips', who were by then both dead. "Sensible" at this period meant "possessing sensibility", as opposed to the usual modern meaning of calm, down to earth, and the like. He had clearly achieved an unusual status in the household by this stage. Picton took his surname from Picton Castle
, Pembrokeshire
, the Phillips's country estate, which was then a significant site for mining coal
.
The legal status of slaves
imported into England was ambiguous and unclear when Picton arrived, but they were certainly not regarded or treated in the same way as slaves in the British American colonies. The situation was clarified considerably by Somersett's Case
of 1772, which although the details are unclear when analysed by lawyers, was generally taken to hold than no person could be a slave in England itself (confirming other reported judgements of 1567 and 1702). Many white apprentices and workers of the time would be classified as near-slaves, though in a time-limited way, by modern standards, and by the time of the case most black servants seem already to have been regarded and treated as free, at least by the time they reached adulthood.
Picton was successful in business, and became rich. He was probably the richest of the thousands of black persons in Britain at the time. His original premises at 52 High Street, Kingston were called Picton House until recently, and are marked with a council blue plaque
. He had lived there for the first years of his business, initially renting, but in 1795 buying the premises, and other property including a wharf
onto the river Thames for unloading the coal, and a malthouse. In 1807 Picton let his Kingston properties and moved to a rented house in Tolworth
, perhaps marking his retirement at 52 from active trade. He was by then described in deeds as a "gentleman", and by 1816 he could buy a house in Thames Ditton
for the very large sum of £4,000. He died in 1836 at the age of 81, and is buried in All Saints Church in Kingston — he was evidently a very large man as a four-wheeled trolley was needed for the coffin.
or, possibly Ignatius Sancho
. He is not known to have married, and all his bequests were to friends, including 16 mourning ring
s. Although Picton lived through the main period of the British Abolitionist movement, and was doubtless sympathetic to it, any involvement by him remains unknown.
Kingston University holds an annual Cesar Picton Lecture.
During Picton's time in Kingston, the area also gave rise to a significant legal case related to slavery in Regina v Inhabitants of Thames Ditton of 1785, where Lord Mansfield (previously the judge in Somersett's Case
) held that Charlotte Howe, a former slave, was not entitled to pay for her previous work, in the absence of a specific contract.
A blue plaque commemorating Cesar Picton has been mounted on his former home, Picton House in Thames Ditton.
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
living in Norbiton
Norbiton
Norbiton is a place in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. It lies approximately east of Kingston upon Thames's town centre, and from Charing Cross. Its main landmarks include Kingston Hospital and Kingsmeadow football stadium, which is currently used for the home matches of both...
near Kingston in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He later became a wealthy coal merchant in Kingston.
Slave to servant
Sir John's journal recorded the arrival of Picton in the household, along with the gift of “a parakeet and a foreign duck”. He was rapidly baptised by the Phillips, who were supporters of missionary work — he had quite likely come from an Islamic family. Initially rigged out as an exotic page-boy, with a velvetVelvet
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
turban
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
(cost 10 shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s and sixpence) in the rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
fashion of the day, he became a favourite of the family, especially Lady Phillips. When Picton was about 33, Horace Walpole wrote in a letter of 1788: "I was in Kingston with the sisters of Lord Milford; they have a favourite black, who has been with them a great many years and is remarkably sensible". Lord Milford
Baron Milford
Baron Milford is a title that has been created three times, once in the Peerage of Ireland and twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. All three creations have been for members of the same family. The first creation came in the Peerage of Ireland in 1776 when Sir Richard Philipps, 7th Baronet,...
was the son of the Phillips', who were by then both dead. "Sensible" at this period meant "possessing sensibility", as opposed to the usual modern meaning of calm, down to earth, and the like. He had clearly achieved an unusual status in the household by this stage. Picton took his surname from Picton Castle
Picton Castle
Picton Castle is a medieval castle near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Originally built at the end of the 13th century by Sir John Wogan and is still inhabited by his descendants, the Philipps family ....
, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, the Phillips's country estate, which was then a significant site for mining coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
.
The legal status of slaves
Slavery at common law
Slavery at common law in former colonies of the British Empire, developed slowly over centuries, characterised by inconsistent decisions and varying rationales for the treatment of slavery, the slave trade, and the rights of slaves and slave owners...
imported into England was ambiguous and unclear when Picton arrived, but they were certainly not regarded or treated in the same way as slaves in the British American colonies. The situation was clarified considerably by Somersett's Case
Somersett's Case
R v Knowles, ex parte Somersett 20 State Tr 1 is a famous judgment of the English Court of King's Bench in 1772 which held that slavery was unsupported by law in England and Wales...
of 1772, which although the details are unclear when analysed by lawyers, was generally taken to hold than no person could be a slave in England itself (confirming other reported judgements of 1567 and 1702). Many white apprentices and workers of the time would be classified as near-slaves, though in a time-limited way, by modern standards, and by the time of the case most black servants seem already to have been regarded and treated as free, at least by the time they reached adulthood.
Tradesman to gentleman
Following the deaths of Sir John in 1764, and his wife in 1788, and the sale of Norbiton Place by their son, Picton used a legacy of £100 from Lady Phillips to set up in business as a coal merchant in nearby Kingston. The move from servant to tradesman was a common one; Picton was presumably well-known to the owners and upper servants of the many large houses in the area after nearly thirty years at Norbiton. The three unmarried Phillips daughters had moved to nearby Hampton Court on the sale of the house, and since they all later left him legacies (in total by 1820, £250 and £30 a year), they may well have been ready to push their friends to buy coal from him. In the phrase of the day, he had "connections". In addition, it is probably no coincidence that the Phillips's estate at Picton was a centre of coal mining; he may well have sourced his supplies from them, to mutual advantage, and perhaps had already been involved in managing their affairs.Picton was successful in business, and became rich. He was probably the richest of the thousands of black persons in Britain at the time. His original premises at 52 High Street, Kingston were called Picton House until recently, and are marked with a council blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
. He had lived there for the first years of his business, initially renting, but in 1795 buying the premises, and other property including a wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
onto the river Thames for unloading the coal, and a malthouse. In 1807 Picton let his Kingston properties and moved to a rented house in Tolworth
Tolworth
Tolworth is a mostly residential area of outer South London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, located south west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include: New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Chessington, Ewell and Worcester Park....
, perhaps marking his retirement at 52 from active trade. He was by then described in deeds as a "gentleman", and by 1816 he could buy a house in Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
for the very large sum of £4,000. He died in 1836 at the age of 81, and is buried in All Saints Church in Kingston — he was evidently a very large man as a four-wheeled trolley was needed for the coffin.
Legacy
Picton left a portrait of himself in his will (along with several other paintings), but its whereabouts are not known. It emerged in 2007 that the portrait used as his in a mural of Kingston's history commissioned by the Council was actually of either Olaudah EquianoOlaudah Equiano
Olaudah Equiano also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a prominent African involved in the British movement towards the abolition of the slave trade. His autobiography depicted the horrors of slavery and helped influence British lawmakers to abolish the slave trade through the Slave Trade Act of 1807...
or, possibly Ignatius Sancho
Ignatius Sancho
Ignatius Sancho was a composer, actor, and writer. He is the first known Black Briton to vote in a British election. He gained fame in his time as "the extraordinary Negro", and to 18th century British abolitionists he became a symbol of the humanity of Africans and immorality of the slave trade...
. He is not known to have married, and all his bequests were to friends, including 16 mourning ring
Mourning ring
A mourning ring is a finger ring worn in memory of someone who has died. It often bears the name and date of death of the person, and possibly an image of them, or a motto. They were usually paid for by the person commemorated, or their heirs, and often specified, along with the list of intended...
s. Although Picton lived through the main period of the British Abolitionist movement, and was doubtless sympathetic to it, any involvement by him remains unknown.
Kingston University holds an annual Cesar Picton Lecture.
During Picton's time in Kingston, the area also gave rise to a significant legal case related to slavery in Regina v Inhabitants of Thames Ditton of 1785, where Lord Mansfield (previously the judge in Somersett's Case
Somersett's Case
R v Knowles, ex parte Somersett 20 State Tr 1 is a famous judgment of the English Court of King's Bench in 1772 which held that slavery was unsupported by law in England and Wales...
) held that Charlotte Howe, a former slave, was not entitled to pay for her previous work, in the absence of a specific contract.
A blue plaque commemorating Cesar Picton has been mounted on his former home, Picton House in Thames Ditton.