Plaque honouring African-Caribbean prisoners held in Britain stolen from Hampshire castle
A plaque at Portchester Castle in southern England commemorating African-Caribbean and Indigenous prisoners of war brought to Britain in 1796 has been stolen. Descendants say it reflects enduring racism, and the incident has been reported to police.
A memorial plaque telling the story of African-Caribbean prisoners held in 18th-century Britain has been stolen from Portchester Castle in Hampshire, southern England. It was unveiled on 9 October, and days later staff of English Heritage, the charity that looks after the site, found it missing. The incident has been reported to police. Descendants of the prisoners say the theft reflects the enduring racism behind centuries of atrocities against Black and Indigenous Caribbean people.
A largely forgotten history
The plaque commemorated more than 2,000 prisoners held at the castle. In total, 2,500 men, women and children were transported to Britain as prisoners of war in 1796. Researchers say their story had been largely lost to history. They came from a coalition of formerly enslaved Africans, Caribbean-born people, Indigenous people and French soldiers who fought British control of St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. Their defeat and removal helped strengthen British rule in the region.
The unveiling took place exactly 230 years after one of the ships carrying prisoners was wrecked at Rapparee Cove in Devon, killing many on board. The ceremony was organised by St Vincent and the Grenadines 2nd Generation, with the University of Warwick and English Heritage, and was attended by Caribbean communities, diplomats and researchers. Staff said a padlock on one castle gate had been removed, and a nearby bench was vandalised with hateful graffiti.
Reactions
Drummer Ronald Raymond McDonald, whose Garifuna ancestors from St Vincent were among the prisoners and who travelled from Belize, said he was heartbroken. Garifuna advocate Princess Eulogia described a spirit of racism hiding in plain sight. Queen Mother Chief Freda Paulino-Sideroff said hate would never define the Garifuna people.
St Lucia's high commissioner Anthony Severin called the theft a desecration of the ancestors' memory and pledged the plaque, returned or replaced, will remain on the castle walls. Campaigner Sir Patrick Vernon said memorials to Black British history have been vandalised repeatedly over decades. The incident comes during Black History Month and amid renewed debate over slavery reparations.
