An Introduction

This conversation focuses in on Black Greenwich Pensioner, John Simmons. Born on a plantation in Jamaica, Simmons went on to fight alongside Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. Historian S. I. Martin talks to Ruth Crook, Simmons' three-times great granddaughter, about her research into her illustrious ancestor.

Inspired by the exhibition Black Greenwich Pensioners, historian Steve Martin speaks to Claire Kirk from the Old Royal Naval College about what life was like for young Black People living in Kentish London during the 1700 and 1800s. Discussions centre on the Greenwich and Deptford area.

Historian Steve Martin and Claire Kirk, Head of Learning, Interpretation and Collections at the Old Royal Naval College, discuss early Black writers, published in England during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Linking to the exhibition 'Black Greenwich Pensioners' at the Old Royal Naval College, this conversation explores the links between early Black writers, the British Navy and Maritime Greenwich.

This first episode offers an introduction to the exhibition, looking broadly at the lives and experiences of those Black Pensioners whose lives are the focus of the Black Greenwich Pensioners exhibition.