Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, an African

by Ignatius Sancho, Vincent Carretta

Born on a slave ship enroute to the West Indies, orphaned by the age of two and taken to England by his owner, Ignatius Sancho rose from servitude to include among his friends noted artists, writers, actors, and prominent politicians. Sancho first gained celebrity when one of his letters appeared in the novelist Laurence Sterne's Letters (1775) and, inspired by the editor's desire to show "that an untutored African may possess abilities equal to a European", two volumes of Sancho's letters were published shortly after his death.The literary quality and the historical importance of the letters endure, revealing a man of sensitivity, intellect, and charm, while also presenting an unusual chronicle of the times. Sancho offers young men fatherly advice on their futures; writes flirtatiously to young women; relates the joys and sorrows of family life; swaps literary jokes; and comments perceptively on the issues of the day. His thoughts on race and politics -- including his criticism of British imperialism in India, the complicity of Africans in the slave trade, and the blatant racism that flourishes in his adopted homeland -- will be of particular interest to twentieth-century readers. While some letters may have been abridged because of the original editor's concerns about public sensitivities, they remain a powerful testament to the injustices of racial discrimination.

Genres: History, London, Nonfiction, British Literature, Biography, 18th Century

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1782

About the author

Ignatius Sancho (c. 1729 – 14 December 1780) was a British composer, actor, and writer. He is the first known Black Briton to vote in a British election. He gained fame in his time as "the extraordinary Negro", and to eighteenth-century British abolitionists he became a symbol of the humanity of Africans and immorality of the slave trade. The Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, an African, edited and published two years after his death, is one of the earliest accounts of African slavery written in English by a former slave of Spanish and English families.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatiu...

Reviews

[Lawrence]

I’ve been reading these letters, a few pages at a time, for so long that now that I’m done I miss my friend Sancho! They are very charming and human letters, which gave me some ideas for teaching with them and also got me more interested in the genre of letter collections more broadly. The editing of the Broadview edition is good too, lots of useful & interesting bits in the appendices, though I do wish I referred to page numbers as well as letter numbers when cross-referencing... and actually I wish it re-ordered the letters that it re-dated, for a more smoothly chronological reading experience. But overall a good read, which I’d recommend!

[Holli]

finally

[ouijacine]

Again read this for week 2 of global studies. Though elements of it were fascinating it was more of a requirement than an actual enjoyment

[Andrew]

Ignatius Sancho is a rather interesting character from Georgian Britain. Born a slave, Sancho moved in the elite circles of the times and ran his own London based business. He composed music, appeared on stage and is believed to be the first Black Briton to have cast a vote in a British election becoming a symbol for those involved in the anti-slavery movement.

This book includes his memoirs together with the many letters that were written by him during his lifetime and first published in 1782. This work provides the reader with an insight into the mind and thoughts of an eminent Black Briton.

[Lila]

Many years ago, I picked up this Penguin Classics edition of Sancho’s letters at an academic conference. I had never heard of this 1782 work, even though the man was painted by Gainsborough and is a rare Afro-British voice, the reason it seems is because he was a British royalist during the American revolution. Talk about US censorship.

Only when Lucy Worsley mentioned him as a witness to the Gordon Riots on her television broadcast on the American Revolution from the British viewpoint (thank you PBS) did I pull the book from my shelves. In this time of rudeness and outspoken insensitivity, it is a relief to hear the voice of a man known for civility. Okay, he was a servant, but even when he writes to other servants he is polite and considerate.

The letters’ editor, Carretta, seems particularly focused on correcting dates from former editions. A better edition would have headnotes summarizing each lettter and a guide to Sancho’s correspondents, plus some illustrations of Gordon Riots published in newspapers of the time, a map of London c. 1780s, and Sancho’s tobacco wrappers, since a couple exist in museums.

[evie lane]

me when im a nonchalant people pleaser

[Hannah Willey]

I found it so interesting to read Sancho’s letters as an African man in a white and racist community, asserting, even now, his level of elocution and intelligence despite his restricted freedoms. I also thought it revealed his relationship with his own identity, and the volatility of the enlightenment period.

It’s enjoyable to go through slowly bit by bit, but naturally becomes a bit wearing to read in big chunks.

[Timothy Domzalski]

Provides valuable insight into a unique historic perspective. Topics range from the revolutionary war and abolition to acting and traveling.

[jennn]

As I read his letters, I felt like I was part some elite conversation. Such an intelligent man, especially during that time era!

[Zen Cho]

Sancho is a really entertaining writer but I wish the ebook had had more footnotes! It got super confusing when everybody was Mr M-- and Miss C-- and it was never explained who was who or why he was writing to them.

I was also wondering whether his excessively complimentary style was because he really thought everybody he was writing to was awesome, or because that's just how friends wrote to each other in the 1700s, or whether that's what worked for him considering the position and society he was in.

The most interesting letters were the ones he wrote to the young black guy who was "adopted" and spoilt by the Marquess of something or other, and who was very talented but super wild, and was sent out to India to make a fresh start.

ETA: I didn't actually read the Penguin classics edition. That probably would have helped! I read the free Kindle Classics version with no modern foreword or anything.

[Pauline McGonagle]

I had to give up on the style of print as it was making me blind as well as read with a strong lisp!
I switched to a borrowed Penguin addition thanks to Prof Donna Landry.

[GAVIN GORDON]

Very insightful

I was able to get a mental picture of Ignatius Sancho and his life. I do wish that the full names of the recipients of the letters had been used.