Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Haringey's African, Caribbean, Asian and Indigenous Heritage, 1610 to 1840

"Walter Anberey the sonne of Nosser Anberey borne in the kingdom of Dungala in Africa, was baptized upon the thirde day of February being Shrove Sundaie, in the Eighte yeare of Kinge James, anno, 1610" 
(From All Hallows, Tottenham records within London Metropolitan Archives

The London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) has just announced the publication of a new project dataset, Switching the Lens - Rediscovering Londoners of African, Caribbean, Asian and Indigenous Heritage, 1561 to 1840.
 
This resource focuses on records of over 2600 people of colour found in Anglican parish registers at LMA and is the result of research carried out by staff and volunteers which began in 2000 and continues today at LMA.

The LMA writes

London has long been home to a very diverse population, a fact often obscured by mainstream British history which traditionally excludes the histories of people of colour, centres ‘whiteness’ and upholds narratives constructed by colonialism. The project name reflects the variety and breadth of the contribution made by Londoners from many diverse communities.

'Rediscovering’ embraces the fact that this history has always been present; ‘Switching the Lens’, that we are taking a proactive approach to highlight it more widely.   

Switching the Lens offers an exciting and intriguing insight into the lived experiences of people arriving in London from the 16th to 19th centuries. It helps to reframe perceptions of immigration and presents materials to develop a deeper understanding of the complex historical relationships between London, the UK and the world.

The new dataset is available to search within the LMA Collections Catalogue.

Within the dataset, you can search by borough and find that Haringey has a good handful of 18th and even 17th century records. In fact the oldest record in Haringey (see top picture) misses the 16th century by only ten years. (I wonder if the naming of Dongola Road is related - or should I stay away from road names!)

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Probly had slaves in Dongala like most african did. Better change that road name

I'm curious about the use of the word Indigenous rather than English. Is there a reason?

The definitions given in the following links would, I think, permit most of us to make a good stab at why the LMA chose that particular word.

Your curiosity sounds like it might be verging on suspicion. You might allay any fears you have by contacting the LMA. 

But, I'm disappointed if this is the main thing that presents itself in this post. I'd hope that the main point of the post is far more interesting than the author's phraseology.

Fascinating stuff- thanks Hugh! 

Really interesting. I think Dungala/ Dongala / Dongala relates to part of modern Northern Sudan. "Dongola was a province of Upper Nubia on both sides of the Nile, and the city was a centre for Nubian civilisation, as manifested by its many archeological remains from the Makurian and Islamic periods. Dongowalis originate from early indigenous Nubian Sub Saharan African inhabitants..." from Wiki.

"Dongala was the scene of a victory by General Herbert Kitchener over the indigenous Mahdist Muslim tribes in 1899...Dongola Road and Dongala Avenue in the Bishopston area of Bristol were named after this event: as was Dongala Road in Tottenham, North London which runs next to Kitchener Road" Wiki.  By all accounts Kitcheners forces were extremely brutal killing many unnecsarily.

Thanks. I’d googled Dungala but stupidly hadn’t made the Kitchener connection. So, yes, like many other roads, it’s almost certainly named after something connected to a colonial war. 

I was up at Bruce Castle Museum today and one of th archivists, Val Crosby had seen this discussion. She gave me the following info.

Up till the late 50s, Kitchener Road used to be Durham Road. It was renamed in honour of the recently retired Agnes Kitchener, a long-serving progressive councillor on Tottenham Council.

The renaming had nothing to do with General Kitchener.

So there is no local recognition of Lord Kitchener?

Perhaps that would be an alternative new name for Black Boy Lane given that the Council has decided to rename it.

OK, Great Leader & Helmsman, get your hands off Black Boy Lane and concentrate on Kitchener Road, Dongala Road and dozens of others instead. Let's hear it for El Mahdi, the Rightly Guided One!

(Hmm, just wondering how Coleraine and Carlingford Roads got to Wood Green and Turnpike Lane. Some well-oiled and homesick Paddy might be fooled into thinking they both lead to my old neck of the woods. Time for a Name-changing Petition.)

Seen this attractive website? "Ireland's Ancient East".
https://carlingford.ie/

Includes a photo of an interesting road name: "Long Woman's Grave Road".
Which I'd hoped referred to some famous and wily peasant family. But which turned out to be a love tragedy involving Spanish and Irish aristos.

Glad you found this, Alan. And of course the Carlingford area was home to one of the Finnegan clans, including the ancestors of Kitty Finnegan, Joe Biden's mother. So if you're missing me a few months from now, seek me in the Oval Office.

The council estate my Nan lived on was named entirely for Irish place names, so I would spend Christmas in Cavan Road, go down Waterford Road to the estate pub and nip into the Co-op on Ulster Avenue. All in a town about as far away from the Emerald Isle as you could get. You’ve got me wondering now, OAE, if there was a homesick member of the Irish diaspora on the planning committee in Ipswich in the late 1940s who wanted to remind themselves of home. 

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