For decades British newspapers often reported “coloured man”, “black man”, “African” when publishing snippets of news. As public interest was often focussed on crime and scandal, this fashion has an unpleasant bias for the modern historian. The violent squabbles among seafarers – at sea and in port – seem out of proportion. Nevertheless, the contemporary newspaper reports do supply evidence of activities which reveal a broad range of work and social life among Britain’s residents of colour. This page looks at the year 1907.

A window cleaner in Croydon. The Croydon Times of 30 March 1907 page 4 reported on the trial of 26 year old Bertram Davies, of Ethel Cottages, Little Bore, Kenley who was charged with stealing a lawnmower. Davies, a window cleaner, had lived in Crydon for twelve years, and was described by a police constable as “a hard working man” who had not been in trouble with the police. He was released.

Pretending to work for a charity. The Manchester Courier of 12 February 1907 (page 10) reported on the trial in Altrincham of Prince France Bailey “a coloured man” who was sentenced to two months in prison for “falsely representing himself as a collector of the Lincoln Hall Mission, Bootle, Liverpool”.

Pretending to be an African prince. The story of Charles Isaac Brown who pretended to be both the heir to the kingdom of Zululand and the nephew of Emperor Menelik of Ethiopia appeared in many newspapers – and has been detailed in my Black Edwardians (pages 53-55). He was a Jamaican ex-soldier who had been an entertainer in Germany and worked on a fishing boat out of Grimsby where he was known as “Khaki Jim”.

Said he was a chauffeur. Joseph Cook was sentenced to two months imprisonment in Lambeth for pretending to be the chauffeur to a wealthy chap. The widely-selling Daily Mail of 12 June 1907 page 11 reported this.

Fire eater and Aunt Sally.  The Hull Daily Mail of 15 January 1907 (page 3) reported a woman’s application for a separation from Nathaniel Holloway “a coloured man” who earned a living in the winter as a fire eater and in the summer “he put his head through a screen for people to throw balls at it, three a penny”. “In the season” he earned £4 to £5 a week. He was a beach entertainer in the popular resort of Blackpool, according to the Lytham Times of 18 January (page 3) which said he was “well-known at Blackpool as ‘Beko the American Dodger'”.

Work as a domestic servant. The Kensington News and West London Times of 15 March 1907 (page 7) had several advertisements from people seeking work, including: “WEST INDIAN coloured woman wants situation as general servant, small quiet family; plain cook; good character, C.C.,24, Silver street, Notting hill gate”. A more specific request was to be found in the Manchester Evening News of 11 January 1907, p 1: “Coloured Young Man, 2 years’ exp., Wants Place as Billiard Marker or Waiter.- J.T. 282, Rochdale Rd., M’chester”.

Preston publican. Charles Freeman was “a coloured publican” who prosecuted James Hallwood who was “drunk, refusing to quit licenced premises, and assaulting him when refused liquor”. Freeman showed teethmarks to the court, and his unruly customer was fined. Manchester Evening News, 12 March 1907, page 4.

Human zoos – Congo pygmies. As noted on this website’s page 022, six Africans from the Congo toured Britain for many months, finally departing in the late summer of 1907. They were on stage in Bath and then Bristol (Bath Chronicle, 2 May 1907, p 8; Bristol Times and Mirror, 24 May 1907, p 7) before a final season at the Earl’s Court Exhibition in London (Hackney Gazette, 3 June 1907, p 4).

The Kingston Choral Union, renamed the Native Choir from Jamaica, returned to Britain in 1907, leaving the earthquake-torn island, and remaining for over a year. They first performed in Liverpool (see this website’s page 027) and then toured holiday resorts including Southend, Folkestone, and Ryde (Southend Standard, 4 July 1907, p 4; Isle of Wight Observer, 6 July 1907, p 5; Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate and Cheriton Herald, 13 July 1907, p 8). They later appeared in Kings Lynn and three weeks in and after Christmas in Edinburgh (Edinburgh Evening News, 24 December 1907, p 2).

There were reports of boxers – some working in very reputable entertainment spots -, and coal miners who, like sailors, seem to have had short tempers.