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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Desirée Baptiste and Jon Ungoed-Thomas

Slave trader Colston left bequest to Church of England, archive shows

The moment the statue of Edward Colston was thrown into Bristol harbour in 2020.
The moment the statue of Edward Colston was thrown into Bristol harbour in 2020. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

The archbishop of Canterbury has spoken of the work to address the Church of England’s historic links to chattel slavery on a trip to Jamaica, as archive research reveals that the slave trader Edward Colston left a bequest in the 18th century to the church’s missionary arm.

Justin Welby is on a three-day visit to the West Indies to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. He said a £100m fund set up by the church would be used to benefit communities “which still bear the scars” from slavery.

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