Reasonable Blackman
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Reasonable Blackman (fl. 1579–1592)[1][2] (also possibly known as John Reason, Reasonable Blakemore and Reasonable Blackmore)[3] was a silk weaver of African origin who lived in Southwark, London, in the late 16th century.[4][5][6] He was among the earliest African people to live in Britain and working as an independent business owner.[7]: 121 He may have come to London via the Netherlands,[4] which had a tiny African population at the time from Spanish and Portuguese colonies[7]: 120 and also a significant trade in silk.[5]
The first record of Reasonable is dated to 1579 in the Parish records of St Saviour's church (later Southwark Cathedral), where he is described as a “blackmor” or "blackmore"[8], a popular term at the time used to denote people of a Sub Saharan African origin, looking for a reservation for the Easter Sunday service.[6] By 1587 Blackman was married and therefore clearly had sufficient means to support a family.[5] It has been suggested that he made costumes for the theatres in the area.[2][3]
He had at least three children,[4][5][6] of whom at least one, Edward,[5] was baptised at St Olave's Church, Southwark in February 1587.[3] A fourth child with a similar surname, John Blakemore, who was also baptised at St Olave's on 26 October 1579, may also have been his.[7]: 123 Two of his children, Edmund and Jane, died of bubonic plague in 1592.[3][4][5][6] They were buried with due ritual in St Olave's churchyard.[6][7]: 132
References
[edit]- ↑ Kaufmann, Miranda (2017). "The Men and Women in BLACK TUDORS: THE UNTOLD STORY". Miranda Kaufmann. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- 1 2 Habib, Imtiaz (2015). "The Resonables of Boroughside, Southwark: an Elizabethan Black Family Near the Rose Theatre". Shakespeare. 11 (2): 135–156. doi:10.1080/17450918.2013.766633. S2CID 191181138.
- 1 2 3 4 Salkeld, Duncan (2018). Shakespeare and London. Oxford University Press. p. 146. ISBN 9780192559784. Archived from the original on 5 August 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 Bidisha (30 October 2017). "Tudor, English and black – and not a slave in sight". The Guardian. London, England. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The prosperous silk weaver". BBC History Magazine. 9 November 2017. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "London's forgotten black Tudors, including a Southwark-based 16th century silk trader". Southwark News. Southwark, London, England. 23 November 2017. Archived from the original on 7 June 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 Kaufmann, Miranda (2017). Black Tudors: The Untold Story. UK: OneWorld. ISBN 978-1-78607-396-9.
- ↑ Kaufmann, Miranda (5 October 2017). Black Tudors: The Untold Story. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-78607-185-9.
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