Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby reveals ancestor owned slaves in Jamaica

Justin Welby has spoken retired astir the find and said a caller travel to the state “has helped maine to face the legacies of enslavement successful the Caribbean”.

Mr Welby said his great, great, large gramps Sir James Fergusson was an proprietor of enslaved radical astatine the Rozelle Plantation successful St Thomas, Jamaica.

My caller travel to Jamaica has helped maine to face the legacies of enslavement successful the Caribbean and the work owed to those who inactive endure from the effects of this evil trade

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby

In 2016, Mr Welby revealed that his biologic begetter was the precocious Sir Anthony Montague Browne – Sir Winston Churchill’s past backstage secretary.

This had travel arsenic “a implicit surprise” done DNA evidence, helium said astatine the time, having believed his begetter was Gavin Welby, the antheral who raised him.

The Archbishop has present revealed the further find done his ancestry of links to the “evil trade” of slavery.

Sir James was fixed compensation erstwhile slavery was abolished.

Mr Welby, who had nary narration with Sir Anthony, did not person immoderate wealth from him portion helium was alive, oregon from his property since his death.

He said: “I person precocious discovered that my biologic father, the precocious Sir Anthony Montague Browne, had an ancestral transportation to the enslavement of radical successful Jamaica and Tobago.

“His great, large gramps was Sir James Fergusson, an proprietor of enslaved radical astatine the Rozelle Plantation successful St Thomas, Jamaica.

“While I sadly lone discovered my narration to Sir Anthony successful 2016, 3 years aft his death, I did person had the delight of gathering my fractional sister and her son.

“My caller travel to Jamaica has helped maine to face the legacies of enslavement successful the Caribbean and the work owed to those who inactive endure from the effects of this evil trade.

“I convey those who person fixed their clip to specified tireless probe successful this field, galore of whom are descendants of enslaved people.”

The Church of England announced successful January 2023 its enactment to code historical links to slavery, with a backing programme for investment, probe and engagement to “address past wrongs”.

The archetypal £100 cardinal concern money was branded excessively tiny and dilatory successful a study earlier this year, with an autarkic oversight radical saying Church Commissioners had “embraced a people of £1 cardinal for a broader healing, repair and justness inaugural with the money astatine its centre”.

Mr Welby said: “I reiterate the Church Commissioners’ committedness to a thorough and close probe programme, successful the cognition that archives person acold much to archer america astir what has travel earlier america – often successful a precise idiosyncratic way.

“I springiness acknowledgment to God for this travel towards healing, justness and repair, arsenic we instrumentality the way that Jesus Christ calls america to walk.”