It's more of a cult than grounded in reality:
The historical figure of Edward Colston was being reinvented in the Victorian period to represent the economic, social and political perspectives of the Bristol business elite.
brh.org.uk/site/articles/…
The historical figure of Edward Colston was being reinvented in the Victorian period to represent the economic, social and political perspectives of the Bristol business elite.
brh.org.uk/site/articles/…
Ritual commemoration, celebration and memorialisation of Edward Colston in the Victorian public domain were crucial to propagating both the elite concept of Colston and the belief that this concept was validated by long-standing tradition.
Colston was selected by Bristol’s elite as their icon from a number of historical figures who had made philanthropic donations to the city.
These included, amongst others, Robert Thorne, John Whitson, Robert Aldworth, William Chester, Richard Reynolds and the Canynges family, who most Bristolians have never heard of.
For example, Reynolds, a Quaker and innovative ironmaster, gave larger sums to charities in Bristol in the early nineteenth century than Edward Colston but is largely unknown and is not memorialised in the city.
The cult manifests itself in the form of Colston Day - a celebration of his birthday by the city's rich and powerful.
thebristolian.net/2017/11/14/col…
thebristolian.net/2017/11/14/col…
From a girl who went to Colston's Girls School (founded long after his death):
There are lots of ceremonies celebrating Colston and Colston’s life: we went to his grave every year, we wore his favourite flower, there are statues of him all over the school grounds.
There are lots of ceremonies celebrating Colston and Colston’s life: we went to his grave every year, we wore his favourite flower, there are statues of him all over the school grounds.
The Merchant Venturers have kept him alive. The statues were erected a hundred years after he died. Now he represents something to the Merchant Venturers.
theartoforganisinghope.eu/interview-with…
theartoforganisinghope.eu/interview-with…
What does the Merchant Venturers own website say about all this - seems from the above like they are quite enamoured with the guy:
Was Edward Colston a member of the society:
Yes, Edward Colston was a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers. He attended two meetings during his lifetime, spending most of his time in London.
merchantventurers.com/faqs/
Yes, Edward Colston was a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers. He attended two meetings during his lifetime, spending most of his time in London.
merchantventurers.com/faqs/
That's odd - they make it sound like they hardly knew him.
Someone passed him to them and they were photographed with him in their hand - but never inhaled...
This doesn't really gel with any of the links above though.
Someone passed him to them and they were photographed with him in their hand - but never inhaled...
This doesn't really gel with any of the links above though.
Maybe it is true that they hardly knew him - but they administer many of his endowments and spent a lot of time pretending that he was always their hero.
And then we are back to hair and fingernails... eww...
It all sounds a bit cult like to me.
Whatever it is, the intensive celebration of the city's greatest benefactor (when he wasn't) can't really be considered healthy can it?
It all sounds a bit cult like to me.
Whatever it is, the intensive celebration of the city's greatest benefactor (when he wasn't) can't really be considered healthy can it?
Some more background from @KateWilliamsme why the cult developed around Colston rather than someone else and why it emerged at the time that it did.
