Telling our Stories, Finding our Roots, Exeter’s Mu lti-Coloured History Exeter History Timeline - teachers’ notes

Introduction This timeline exercise could work well as an introduction to a study of multi-cultural history, or as a standalone activity. It has been piloted with KS2 and KS3 students, and could work equally with GCSE and A level students. Suggested Procedure

1. By way of warmup, ask the students what they know about multi-cultural Exeter (or even Britain) in recent or distant history. This can also be a baseline assessment

2. Divide the students into small groups - they will need a reasonable amount of room 3. Give them the instructions “I’m going to give you 11 pictures, 11 captions and 11

dates. Your task is to match up the pictures, dates and captions and put them in order on a timeline. I’ll give you x minutes”

4. Give each group a set of pictures, dates and captions 5. Monitor their progress and encourage/assist as necessary 6. As they finish, encourage them to compare with other tables (unless you’re doing it

as a competition) 7. When all groups are finished, hand out the answer sheet so they can check the

correct answers 8. Discuss the rationale for their choices - what evidence were they using? (probably a

combination of prior knowledge, arithmetic, decoding pictures, guesswork) 9. Ask them for comments and questions on the subjects on the timeline, and discuss

the topics more, using the notes below. This could be a good time to identify topics that are particularly popular for further work

10. Send us your feedback on the activity and possible improvements NB you’ll find much more detail on some of these stories, plus other stories on our website www.tellingourstoriesexeter.org.uk

Answer Sheet

No Date Event Picture

1. 50 Exeter founded by Roman II Augusta Legion, led by future Emperor Vespasian

2. 740 Anglo-Saxon girl Sidwell murdered with a

scythe outside Exeter

3. 1001 Battle of Pinhoe between Anglo-Saxons and

Vikings

4. 1562 Devonian John Hawkins conducts first English

slave raids on West Africa

5. 1616 Pocahontas travels from Plymouth to London.

Did she stay in Exeter?

6. 1763 Exeter’s synagogue opens

7. 1833 End of slavery in the Empire – Bishop of Exeter Henry Phillpotts receives compensation for loss of his slaves

8. 1914 Exeter City was the first professional team in

the world to play Brazil at football

9. 1944 GIs stationed in Exeter are segregated by the

river – Black GIs in the West, White GIs in the East

10. 1958 Mr Law opens first Chinese restaurant in

Exeter – the Rice Bowl at 13 North Street

11. 1977 First mosque in Exeter opens at 15 York

Road

1 Romans in Exeter (50) Vespasian (Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus), as depicted in the coin, was the Leader of the II Augusta legion that arrived in Exeter in AD50 and set up their fortified camp on the hill above the river Exe. The Legion had been a major part of the invasion of Britain under Claudius, and had fought across the south of the country, including at Maiden Castle (Dorchester). There was already a settlement here at Exeter, a prominent hill with good views towards the sea, set above a natural quayside, a settlement of the Celtic Dumnonii people. They Dumnonii had established trade links, with the Mediterranean and Europe (eg pre-Roman coin from Armorica (Brittany) found in Northernhay, in the RAMM). According to the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, writing around 30BC, there was a “complex network of trade between Armorica and Britannia”. So why did the Romans come here? Why does any army conquer? They were interested in trade –specifically Cornish tin, and they wanted to capitalise on the natural resources round here. Exeter was the westernmost Roman fort in Britain, and one of the furthest west outposts of the Empire. The name of the city comes from the river Exe plus the Latin word castra, meaning fort. This is similar to many other place names in Britain (that students could explore) eg Chester, Cirencester, Manchester and so on. The Romans, however, knew the city as Isca Dumnoniorum - water or river of the Dumnonii. There’s an interesting artists impression of Roman Exeter on the city council website

http://www.exeter.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2958 There are lots of interesting resources on Roman Exeter in the RAMM, for example http://www.rammtimetrail.org.uk/Roman-Fortress/ Much of our understanding of Roman Exeter is relatively recent. There was a Roman Bath-house under the steps of the cathedral –that was unknown until excavations in the 1970s. It’s worth making this point to students – history changes all the time, through new discoveries and through new interpretations and connections. An interesting question, relating to our project, is about the ethnic and linguistic diversity of the city then. If you had strolled around the city in, say AD100, you would have heard no English and met no Christians and quite probably seen a variety of faces. The languages spoken would have been the Celtic language of the Dumnonii (which probably sounded a bit like Welsh) and Latin - English arrived with the Saxons hundreds of years later. We can’t really know for sure what the ethnic mix was in the Roman army or the civilians who lived here. We know that there was a lot of movement around the Empire (which included North Africa and the Middle East). As is the British Empire later, soldiers were recruited in one part of the Empire and posted elsewhere, partly in order to avoid the

possibility of them joining in any local revolts in their home territory. We also know the II Augustan Legion had previously served in Spain and Germany. But we can guess, and imagine the scene by the quay. Legionaries sit around playing with dice in a tavern. A farmer from the hills brings wool from his sheep to sell. A Greek merchant arrives on a ship from Corbilo (modern St Nazaire) to sell olive oil to the Romans, having spent time with Asterix and Obelix first. The sailors on the ship are Phoenician, from what is now Palestine and Lebanon, and wear Phrygian caps over their sun-tanned faces. All the colours and languages of the Empire are found here, as they are in Lutetia (Paris), Massilia (Marseilles), Leptis Magna (on the Libyan Coast) and Alexandria (which still has the same name!). There were definitely Black Romans elsewhere in Britannia - eg http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/feb/26/roman-york-skeleton http://www.archaeologyuk.org/ba/ba77/feat1.shtml http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe/b/bronze_figurine_of_a_moorish_c.aspx The Emperor Septimius Severus was born in Libya, and died in York. So it’s true to say there were Black people in England before the English! NB Vespasian went on to lead the Roman subjugation of the Judaean revolt, and became Roman Emperor in AD69. Useful article here: http://www.roman-britain.org/places/isca_dumnoniorum.htm

2 St Sidwell (740) Little is known for sure about Sidwell, but her name and the image on the side of the building opposite the Co-op will be well known to most Exeter children. The legend is that she was a Saxon Christian girl living in Exeter in the 8th century. Her stepmother wanted her killed, and hired a reaper to do the job. He cut off her head with a scythe, and where it fell, water sprang up. This became the well of St Sidwell, revered for the miracle and a place of pilgrimage in Anglo-Saxon and Norman England. The well was located at the junction of York Rd and Well St, right in front of the school. In early medieval times, the water was channelled into the city through the earliest of the underground passages. Other facts She’s also known as Sativola Her saint’s day is either 31st July, August 1st or 2nd As well as in Exeter, there are churches in her name in Cornwall and Guyana http://celticsaints.org/2013/0801f.html Why have we included her in this tour? Some sources say she was Romano-British, others that she was Saxon. Whatever the truth about the girl, and about her origin, she lived in Exeter at a time of change. The period from the departure of the Romans (around 410) until the time of King Alfred (9th century) was a period of great upheaval in the South West, and throughout Britain, and written records are few. The legends of Arthur may well refer to somebody living in that period, quite possibly in Devon and Cornwall. The Vikings started their raids. And the Angles, Saxons and Jutes arrived from Germany and Denmark from the early 5th century, settling first in the south east. The Saxons spread westward across Southern Britain, through Essex, Sussex, Middlesex and on into Wessex (get your students to guess the meanings of these names and plot the route on a map). They probably reached Exeter some time towards the end of the 7th century. So if the date for Sidwell of 740 is right, and if she was in fact Anglo-Saxon (ie English) then Sidwell was one of the earliest English settlers in Exeter, and one of the earliest speakers of a language that sounds like our modern English. If she was Romano-British, as others claim, then she spoke something more like Welsh or Latin, and was part of a retreating and shrinking culture, which would soon be confined to Cornwall, west of the river Tamar. So this was a time of migrants, of battles and conquests, and of mixing of ethnic groups. And Exeter was, according to some scholars, the front line of this mixing. In 928, King Athelstan drove the Britons (ie Celts) out of the city. Until then they had been living in the northwest corner of the old city - hence the Celtic-named churches of St Petrock and St Kerian (which used to stand on North St). In fact, that area was known as ‘Britayne’ until 1637. Interestingly, the Sidwell St area is now one of the most multi-cultural bits of the city, possibly due to the presence of Hira’s (the first shop selling Asian food) since 1973 and the

mosque since 1977. And St Sidwells school is the most mixed in the county, with over 50% BME students. NB at this stage of history (before the Norman Conquest), it’s worth remembering that the words British and English had quite different meanings from today. British means the original inhabitants of the islands who were here before the Romans, and after them, related to Welsh and Breton (the word’ Celts’ is only used in English from the 18th century). English means the Anglo-saxons, the incomers, the invaders, coming over here and taking our jobs (!)

3 Battle of Pinhoe (1001) The Danes or Vikings from Scandinavia ravaged the coasts of Northern Europe from the 8th century onward. Although King Alfred unified the Anglo- Saxon areas, the Danes continued their raids, and started to settle, especially in the north and east of the country (coming over here and taking our jobs again). In the years leading up to the Millennium, a band of Norwegian Vikings attacked various parts of the south coast. In July 1001 they landed at Exmouth and built a fortified base from which to raid. They started on the Teign river, where they sacked Kinsgteignton and surrounding villages. Returning to Exmouth, they met another Danish force, led by Pallig Tokesen, brother-in-law of King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. This force was supposed to be protecting the English, and had been paid to do so. However, they joined forces with Pallig and rowed up the Exe towards Exeter, with a combined force of over 4000 men. The inhabitants were ready, however, sheltering behind the Roman walls recently restored by Athelstan, and drove away the attackers. Disappointed, the Vikings attacked the villages in the valley, sacking Topsham and Clyst St Mary. The next village northwards was Pinhoe, 3 miles from the city walls. There they were surprised to meet the county army of Devon (estimated around 1500 men), camped on Beacon Hill above the valley (although quite why they weren’t behind the city walls escapes me!). They were led by Kola, the High Reeve for Devon. Legend has it that the priest of the village sneaked past the Vikings to get supplies for the defenders:

A point of interest in connection with the church is the pension annually paid to the vicar on October 1st, dating from very early days. Tradition connects it with the Battle of Pinhoe, A.D. 1001. The Danes fought the men of Devon and Somerset on the high ground above the church in that year, and it is related that the parish priest, watching the battle, noticed that his countrymen were short of arrows. Mounting his ass he rode into Exeter and secured a fresh supply and served them out personally to the men, and so turned the tide of conflict in their favour. He was rewarded with a mark from the King's purse. http://genuki.cs.ncl.ac.uk/DEV/Pinhoe/Stabb-Pinhoe.html

Little is known of the detail of the battle, but the Vikings were victorious, slaying more of the English than they lost, and remaining in command of the field. The Devon army retired to the city walls in good order. The site of the battle is reckoned to be at Mincimore copse, between Poltimore and Pinhoe. The church on the hill at Pinhoe stands on the site where the English dead were buried. The following year, 1002, Sweyn Forkbeard attacked and sacked the city, burning the Minster and most of the buildings. Sweyn’s son was King Canute. NB please note that the picture on the timeline for this event is an artist’s impression of a different Viking Battle. This picture is of Sweyn Forkbeard http://thehistorymanatlarge.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/battle-of-pinhoe-devon-in-year-1001.html

4 John Hawkins’ slave raids (1562) Hawkins (born in Plymouth) is sometimes credited with inventing the triangular slave trade, making a profit on each leg of the voyage. Astoundingly, he was so proud of his work trafficking humans, that he even had a slave added to his coat of arms. Hawkins’ 2nd cousin, Francis Drake, accompanied him on at least one voyage. So these Devon men who were (and are) often regarded as heroes, salty seadogs who roamed the seven seas for Good Queen Bess, were also responsible for helping to create one of the worst aspects of the Imperial period. More info in Todd Gray’s book, Devon and the Slave Trade Or listen to this extract from the BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/john-hawkins-and-the-slave-trade/3644.html

5 Pocahontas (1616) Your students will probably have seen the Disney film, Pocahontas, and have some idea of her story. She was the daughter of Powhatan or Wahunsenacawh, a chief of a group of peoples in what became Virginia, and the legend says she saved the life of Englishman John Smith by placing her head next to his before the axe fell. She was captured by the settlers, took the name Rebecca and became a Christian. She married John Rolfe, and they had a son called Thomas Rolfe (from whom many people in the US and the UK claim descent). She died in 1617, in Gravesend near London. The statue in the picture is in London’s Docklands. In 1616, Pocahontas landed at Plymouth with her husband John Rolfe, their son Thomas, and 11 of her fellow Powhatans. They then went to London, where she was presented as a Princess. In the 17th century (as before that and since), their route would have been the old coach road via Exeter. So we can be fairly sure that Pocahontas and Rolfe stayed overnight in Exeter - perhaps at the White Hart on South St, an inn since the 15th century. We can imagine the scene as the coaches arrive from Plymouth, and the Exeter grooms leap out to hold the horses. The weary travellers walk into the bar, led by Pocahontas, carrying her one-year old son, fast asleep. She’s followed by her husband, John, and then Tomocomo, the shaman who had accompanied them, and the other Powhatans, wrapped up warm in blankets against the cold. The innkeeper is startled to meet so many dark faces, but the usual Exeter hospitality shows through, and he finds beds for all, before they sit down to a meal of mutton and pease pudding (no potatoes yet in Exeter!). Afterwards, they sat and smoked tobacco in the parlour - Rolfe was a pioneer of tobacco cultivation, despite King James’ book A Counterblaste to Tobacco in 1604. The next morning they continued on their way, taking the High Road through Heavitree to Honiton. In the engraving (made in London in 1616 and now held in the British Museum), her name is given as Matoaka or Rebecca. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/465632/Pocahontas

6 Exeter Synagogue (1763) Exeter synagogue is located on Synagogue Place, off Mary Arches St. It is the 3rd oldest in the country, after Bevis Marks in London (1701), and Plymouth (1762). For its 250th anniversary in 2013, there is a new book entitled ‘The Jews of Exeter’ by Helen Fry. http://www.helen-fry.com/books/the-jews-of-exeter/ It is tucked away behind Mary Arches church, with a passage running through to the Mecca bingo hall (built as the Gaumont cinema). Along with other English cities, Exeter had a Jewish population in the Middle Ages, with Jews acting as bankers for clergy and citizens, and for the King. The Jews were expelled from England in 1290 by Edward I, taking refuge elsewhere in Europe. See Myra Foncecas’s research on our website for more detail. In 1655, Oliver Cromwell agreed to readmit the Jews, led by Menasseh Ben Israel from Amsterdam. By 1724 there were Jews in Exeter again, and in 1757 the Jewish community leased land at Bull Meadow, where they started a Burial Ground, still operating today. The synagogue was founded in 1763 when Abraham Ezekiel and Kitty Jacobs leased land in Mary Arches. They had to conduct the lease through the good offices of a non-Jew, to avoid the restrictions on Jewish ownership of land. The synagogue was consecrated on August 10th 1764. The synagogue is very happy to host educational visits. http://exetersynagogue.org.uk/

7 Compensation for loss of slaves (1833)

The transatlantic slave trade was abolished in 1807, following an enormous amount of campaigning and lobbying across the country, including by Exeter people. However, this did not mean the end of slavery, only of the practice of British ships taking slaves across the Atlantic. British people continued to own slaves, especially in the West Indies, for over thirty years. In 1833, Parliament finally passed a law to emancipate all slaves in the Empire. The slave-owners, however, had successfully campaigned for compensation for their loss of ‘property’. Note that no slave was compensated, only the owners! The amount put aside was £20 million – today that would be worth around £1 billion. Bishop Henry Phillpotts was one of a group of 4 people who owned 665 slaves in Jamiaca. They spilt the compensation of £12,729 4s 4d between them -worth around £650, 000 in 2013 money. Find out more about the compensation paid, and who else in Devon received it, at the “Legacies of Slave Ownership” website, with a searchable database http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/project/ It’s interesting to note that the enslaved, except those under 6, were not fully emancipated until 1838: in the interim men and women were tied into a system of ‘apprenticeship’, another form of unfree labour with a fixed term. More info on Phillpotts here http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/slavery_business_gallery_03.shtml As a sidenote, the first person appointed as a magistrate to implement the anti-slavery laws in Jamaica is buried in Exeter, His name was Captain Henry Kent (RN). You will find his grave at Higher Cemetery and his picture here.

8 Exeter City vs Brazil (1914)

Exeter City FC was formed in 1904 by a merger of two clubs, Exeter United F.C. and St Sidwell's United. In 1914 Exeter City toured in South America, playing 8 matches in Argentina & Brazil. On July 27th they played the Brasil national team, believed to be the team’s first ever game. The game took place in Rio de Janeiro, at the Laranjeiras stadium (the name means Orange trees). Exeter lost 2-0. In 2014 (World Cup year), Exeter City will return to the same stadium to play Fluminense. The club is nicknamed The Grecians, but the origin of the name is unclear. The current squad (2013) includes 2 Irishmen, 1 Pole, 2 Scots, 2 welshmen and 2 from Northern Ireland. Famous international & BME players for Exeter City have included

o Joe Cooke from Dominica 81-82 o Dermot Curtis ROI 1932-2008, died in Exeter

In May 2004 there was a return match between Exeter City and Brazil veterans at St James Park. http://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/ in Portuguese (with good photos) http://www.campeoesdofutebol.com.br/brasil_sumula1_1914.html

9 Black GIs (1944)

These units of ‘Colored troops’ were stationed in Exeter during the war:

• 36 Station Hospital, Detachment of Patients • 519 Quartermaster Truck Regiment HQ & HQ Detachment • 595 Quartermaster Laundry Company • 519 Quartermaster Group, HQ & HQ Detachment • 595 Quartermaster Laundry Company • 595 Quartermaster Laundry Company, 2 & 3 Platoons • 963 Quartermaster Service Company

Many of them were stationed at the old County Ground – all of them were on the West side of the river, a de facto ghetto. Marion Wallen who lived in St Thomas during the war recalled 'down Tin Lane was my dancing school and I saw ever so much that was going on there. My mother nearly stopped me going because of it' Sister Edward Mary remembered 'One day a pupil asked Sister, I met a black soldier, what are they? This question was later superseded by another - Sister, I met a soldier and he had a funny uniform. On hearing its description, the child was told he was an American and she responded, Oh no he's not - he's not black.' Ivey Facey recalled ' their colour 'didn't make a difference. They were accepted. My mother always had someone in for Christmas - the first year it was Frenchman. Later they were Americans, black or white.' ‘He was very nice, handsome. He was from Tennessee. I think I met him at Emmanuel Hall. My mother told me years afterwards when she was dying in 1962, that she had burnt all the letters and cables that he had sent. I never had them. It was terrible now that you think about it. He must have thought I was killed in the blitz.' James Bell recalled “The coloured Americans stayed on the St Thomas side of the Exe and there was no movement between the two groups. I remember that Exe Bridge was closed off, on both sides by American Military Police, and each group shouting dreadful insults across the river at each other. I am sure that if they were allowed to get across there would have been murder.” Hilda May Eastley of Exmouth remembered "Yanks also took over the Cattle Market in Exeter. Father was very shocked at these huge dark men, the first he had ever seen, and he touched his cap very respectfully, much to the amusement of the young G.I's. Never had they such respect! It seemed an unreal time, we would never be the same again." (BBC) For more detail and personal stories, read Crystal Carter’s research in our ‘Stories’ section.

10 First Chinese restaurant (1958) Our researchers Gordon Chan and Sasi Phongploenpis have done some great research into Exeter’s Chinese community. They interviewed Mrs Sheila Wan Ping Yau, the daughter of Sam Fat Law, the owner of the Rice Bowl. In 1966

“the business was running well enough to support nearly 20 staff, including 6 to 7 waiters, and 11 to 12 chefs or kitchen workers. It was estimated that about 200 sets of three course meal could be sold during a single lunchtime. With a price of less than £1 per meal… [dishes included] Fried rice, noodle, curry, sweet and sour, chop suey and even local roast dinner were on the menu. As a footnote, please be reminded that chop suey is not a traditional or common dish in China, and is widely believed to be invented by Chinese immigrants in America”

13 North St is now occupied by the Red Rose Indian takeaway. The photo shows Mr Law’s family standing outside the restaurant, with a view of St Davids area behind them. The Chinese characters say ‘Rice Bowl’

The first Chinese takeaway store in Exeter could possibly be “The Orient” founded by one of

our interviewees, Mr. Tung W. Pang, in 1968. According to Pang’s autobiography, The Orient

was located at Fore Street in Heavitree, and served both Chinese food, and British fish and

chips. Whether it was a coincidence or not, the Pang family had also opened the first Chinese

restaurants in Weston and Taunton respectively before.

It’s still operating in 2013 – now called the ‘New Orient’ . According to the 2011 census, Chinese or Chinese British people make up 1.7% of Exeter’s population. 7.5% of the students at Exeter university are from mainland China. We know that there are lots of Chinese students here now, but going back 100 years, we find a Chinese student in Exeter in the 1911 census – Khai Way Chan, aged 14, was studying at Park House school at 56 St Leonards Rd.

11 Exeter Mosque (1977)

Exeter’s first mosque was officially opened on 11th September 1977 at 15 York Road. It was set up by a group of students from the university, working with local businessmen. The current, purpose-built mosque was opened in 2011. There are around 500 regular worshippers, speaking about 45 different languages. There is a powerpoint presentation with teacher’s notes in the schools section of our website. Further resources on Islam Exeter mosque website http://www.exetermosque.org.uk/ All kinds of resources on this site http://www.exhibitionislam.com/ Animated video on the 5 Pillars of Islam http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikVGwzVg48c In 2001, Devon County Council put together an exhibition called “Discovering Islam in Devon”. The materials can be found online here: http://www.devon.gov.uk/print/index/cultureheritage/libraries/localstudies/lsdatabase.htm?url=etched/etched/100311/1.html If you would like our volunteers Mona or Nazima to come to your school to share more information about Islam and the Exeter Muslim community, please contact the Global Centre at 17 St David's Hill Exeter EX4 3RG, tel: 01392 438811 e: info@ourstoriesexeter.co.uk