The People

Tracing slavery through the people of Wells

Explore the people and families linked to slavery in Wells. Uncover their stories and gain insight into the impact of the slave trade on individual lives and its ongoing legacies today. Join us in uncovering hidden stories for a deeper understanding of our past.

Long Gallery with portraits

The Bishops of Bath and Wells

Over the centuries, many of the bishops of Bath and Wells have played significant roles beyond their pastoral and ecclesiastical duties; supporting the abolition of slavery was one of these.
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Portrait of Charles Tudway, MP.

The Tudway Family

The Tudway family were important politicians and significant landowners in Wells, as well as owners of enslaved Africans on their plantation in Antigua.
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'John Hothersall Pinder', National Portrait Gallery

The Reverend John Hothersall Pinder (1794-1868)

The Revd. John H. Pinder was a slave-owner, plantation chaplain and inaugural principal of Wells Theological College.
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