Jonathan Strong (slave) facts for kids
Jonathan Strong (c. 1747/8–1773) was an enslaved person whose story helped change laws in Britain. His case was one of the first important steps in the movement to end slavery in the United Kingdom.
Jonathan Strong was brought to Britain from the island of Barbados. He was brought by David Lisle, a lawyer and slave trader from Barbados. On July 22, 1765, when he was about fifteen or sixteen years old, Strong was baptized. Many enslaved Black people at this time believed they became free after baptism. This belief may have made his enslaver, Lisle, very angry. Lisle then badly hurt Strong and left him on the street.
Strong later remembered that he could barely see or walk because of his injuries. He managed to reach the house of William Sharp. William Sharp was a surgeon who treated poor people in London for free. There, Strong was seen by William's brother, Granville. William said Strong "seemed ready to die" when he first arrived. Both brothers gave Strong money for clothes and food. William arranged for Strong to be treated at St Bartholomew's Hospital. Strong stayed there for more than four months.
Contents
Jonathan Strong's Fight for Freedom
A Helping Hand
The Sharp brothers paid for Strong's medical care. When he was well enough, they found him a job. He worked as an errand runner for a Quaker friend who was an apothecary (like a pharmacist). This job was near William Sharp's office. Strong worked there for some time.
Taken Against His Will
One day, Lisle saw Strong working as a footman on the pharmacist's coach. Lisle still thought of Strong as his property. He sold Strong to a Jamaican slave trader named James Kerr. Then, Strong was taken against his will and put in a city jail. Strong managed to send a message to Granville Sharp. Sharp immediately went to the Lord Mayor of London to question Strong's imprisonment.
The Lord Mayor gathered everyone who claimed to own Strong. In court, Kerr's lawyer showed the bill of sale. This paper showed that Lisle had sold Strong to Kerr. But this was not enough to convince the Lord Mayor. Strong was in prison without a clear reason or a legal order called habeas corpus. So, the Lord Mayor set Strong free.
A Victory for Justice
After Strong was freed, a ship captain named David Laird grabbed Strong's arm. Laird claimed he would take Strong as Kerr's property. Granville Sharp, following advice from the Coroner of London, threatened to charge Laird with assault. Sharp said he would do this if Laird tried to take Strong by force. Laird let go of Strong, and everyone left without more trouble.
Lisle then challenged Granville Sharp to a duel. But Sharp refused. He told Lisle that he would seek justice through the law instead. Kerr started a lawsuit against Sharp. He claimed that Sharp had unlawfully taken his property, Strong. However, Sharp argued that the laws of England did not support slavery. Because of Sharp's strong legal arguments, Kerr's lawyers decided not to continue the case. In 1774, after Strong had passed away, Kerr had to pay extra costs for wasting the court's time.
Strong remained a free man until he died in London on April 17, 1773. He was only 25 years old. His young age at death might have been a result of the bad beatings he received from Lisle. Jonathan Strong's case was very important. It helped show that slavery was not allowed under English law. This was a big step for the abolitionist movement.
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