Bristol vandalism: Enslaved African man's grave restored

The brightly-painted grave has been "restored and strengthened"

The headstone of an enslaved African man's grave which was smashed in two last summer has been restored.

The grave of Scipio Africanus in St Mary's Churchyard in Henbury, Bristol, was vandalised in June 2020 and a message was scrawled in chalk nearby.

More than £6,000 was raised to restore it and ensure its long-term care.

Church warden Jan Vaughan said the brightly-painted grave had been "restored and strengthened" and was now a "little bit more vandal proof".

Scipio Africanus lived in Bristol in the 18th Century and died aged 18 in 1720.

The Grade II* listed memorial was restored after more than £6,100 was raised online.

The headstone of Scipio Africanus was smashed in two last summer

According to the church, the grave is very popular and attracts many visitors

"[The grave] is very popular; people come from all over to look at the stones so it's good to have it back," said Ms Vaughan.

"It's more or less exactly as it was - possibly brighter - and you can't see where the repair has been done."

According to the church the elaborately-painted headstone is "one of the very few memorials" to black slaves and servants in Britain in the early 18th Century.

It is also thought the decorations and descriptions were painted "in recent times".

"It is unusual," said Ms Vaughan.

"But it's been restored and strengthened and the footings are more solid now, so future vandalism has less impact."

A message scrawled in chalk nearby called for a statue of slave trader Edward Colston be "put back"

Historians believe Scipio Africanus may have been born into the household of 7th Earl of Suffolk Charles Howard.

He is believed to be the son of an enslaved West African woman.

He was named by his "owners" after the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.

The chalk message called for the statue of slave trader Edward Colston, which was torn down in a Black Lives Matter protest in June 2020, to be put back.

The statue was dumped in the city's harbour during anti-racism protests.