On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 08:29:09 -0000, Josephine Jeremiah <jojeremiah@dsl.pipex.com> wrote: > This Bristol Post article has just caught my attention: > > Notebook reveals chilling insight into Bristol's slave trade > > http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/CHILLING-INSIGHT-SLAVE-TRADE/story-20569759-detail/story.html On Thu, 06 Feb 2014 13:02:00 -0000, <roy.stockdill@btinternet.com> wrote: > The discovery of this diary is interesting from an historical point of > view, but no more. Hi Roy and Listers, My attention was caught by the Bristol Post article and by the BBC article because, over the years, I've made reference to Cranfield BECHER, the owner of the notebook, and other members of the BECHER family in my rootsweb responses to queries about this family. So as there is at least one B & S member with BECHER interests, I thought that the two articles would be of family interest as well as historical interest. Just yesterday I noticed the 1741/2 marriage of Cranfield BECHER, merchant of St. Augustine, in a transcription of of the Temple Marriages 1558-1753. This prompted me to have another look at information about Cranfield BECHER on the following web page: John Becher of Co Cork, then Bristol http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~becher/john_becher_of_Cork%20then%20Bristol.htm Then, this morning two articles came up with reference to the 18th-century merchant whom I had been looking at only yesterday. Incidentally, the page on the BECHER family does mention that the family were involved in trading and slaving. Josephine

Hi List, This notebook is of particular interest to me because Cranfield BECHER is the half-brother of my direct ancestor John BECHER. Their father, another John BECHER was the Mayor of Bristol in 1721 and was a merchant, trading in many different ventures including slavery. I do regret that he was involved, even though it was at the time considered quite acceptable and most of the rich merchants at the time in Bristol were involved to some extent. Regret however doesn't mean that I feel guilty or responsible, as they were his choices, not mine. I would love to be able to read this journal to glean any references to other members of the family. I suspect the household accounts would be especially interesting to me! Cranfield BECHER died in 1799 and his wife Bridget lived to 101 [or as it was put at the time, into her 102 year!]. Thank you Josephine for posting this article to the list. >From Jenny Stiles My Family History Website: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~becher/index.htm Hi Roy and Listers, My attention was caught by the Bristol Post article and by the BBC article because, over the years, I've made reference to Cranfield BECHER, the owner of the notebook, and other members of the BECHER family in my rootsweb responses to queries about this family. So as there is at least one B & S member with BECHER interests, I thought that the two articles would be of family interest as well as historical interest. Just yesterday I noticed the 1741/2 marriage of Cranfield BECHER, merchant of St. Augustine, in a transcription of of the Temple Marriages 1558-1753. This prompted me to have another look at information about Cranfield BECHER on the following web page: John Becher of Co Cork, then Bristol http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~becher/john_becher_of_Cork%20then%20Bristol.htm Then, this morning two articles came up with reference to the 18th-century merchant whom I had been looking at only yesterday. Incidentally, the page on the BECHER family does mention that the family were involved in trading and slaving. Josephine ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message