Lost local history: Imperial ties of Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton is known for its industrial history and football club. But what about the imperial past it holds?

The Molineux: home of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Image credit: Row17 / CC BY-SA 2.0

Walking through Wolverhampton, nothing seems extraordinary at first glance. Growing up in this West Midlands city, I was never taught the rich imperial history it holds, only its industrial success.

I start at the Molineux, home to Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Named after the wealthy Molineux family, Benjamin Molineux made money by importing Jamaican rum in the 1770s. He also owned a South African slave, George Africanus, given to his family as a gift.

The Civic, a venue for intimate concerts. Image credit: Gordon Griffiths / CC BY-SA 2.0

Ten minutes away is the Civic, now a concert venue but once a town hall. In 1969, 6,000 people marched outside for Sikh transport workers’ freedom to wear turbans and beards. In 1967, bus driver Tarsem Singh Sandhu returned to work after a three-week break but was told “his turban and beard were unprofessional”. Despite this being a part of his faith, he was sent home without pay, creating an uproar. After two years of protests, campaigners won. This city is now home to the UK’s second-largest Sikh population.

Prince Albert, Queen Square. Image credit: Elliott Brown, Wikimedia

Around the corner is a statue of Prince Albert, locally known as ‘the man on the horse’. Built in 1866, Queen Victoria unveiled the tribute as her first public appearance since the death of her husband.

In 1840, Prince Albert made a speech about abolishing slavery. More than a century later, 17 miles down the road, Wolverhampton Conservative MP Enoch Powell made his infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech in Birmingham. The controversial 1968 speech criticised mass immigration, including the view that “in 15 or 20 years’ time, the black man will have the whip hand over the white man”. The Midlands has attracted far-right membership for years, with many protests taking place in Wolverhampton.

The Department for Education says local history should be taught across all year groups, but this side of our island’s story is rarely taught in schools.