African Connections
Our project aims to research and record the families from West Africa who settled in Britain prior to the first world war and later. We believe this community’s history is in danger of being lost and we aim to record as much as we can.
The men pictured, largely worked on Elder Dempster Lines which sailed from Sierra Leone to Liverpool. Many of the men walked from Liverpool to Newport and Cardiff in search of work. Their families are largely connected in some way whether it be in West Africa or in Britain. Many of the men pictured here served in both wars in the Merchant Navy. Many who left at a young age died at sea and their families never knew what happened to them. The same can be said for the men who settled and married in the UK with many not having a headstone or known grave.
Our intention is to collate what information is available so that families can reconnect with their Ancestry once again.
We offer a research service for those who want to know more about their own families’ history. Please do get in touch if you have a relative or family friend that you would like to know more about or would like to add to our project. Quite often a name is all we need.
Many thanks to those who have supported the project. Click each image and hold the cursor on top for further information.
These Images are Copyrighted and may not be used without permission from the Copyright holder. Copyright is of the following:
Crown Copyright at The National Archives, Historic Dock Project, Glamorgan Archives and Liverpool Maritime Museum. Please contact us regarding further information on availability, we welcome all enquiries.
Our Publication on this Migration Story titled ‘African Connections: The Seamen who came to Wales’, is available for Purchase from ourselves or Amazon.com.
Our Book, African Connections: The Seamen who came to Wales is now available. Please contact us for more information, alternatively it is available on Amazon
African Seamen in Britain
Newport
John Cole-1891. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Dis. A. Number 957275
Tom Davis-1890. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Dis. A. Number 957398-(Kru)
Soloman Joseph Gembe-1896-1964
John ‘Seasay’ Samuels-1926-2021 (Limba)
James ‘Owegbi’ Williams-1880
Jacob John Johnson-1892-1954 (Kru)
Thomas Smith-1893
Joseph Mendi-1884-1923
Thomas Williams
Tom Toby
Stanley Ekeng Henshaw-1942-2017
John Roberts-1892
John Roberts-1896
George Hemmic-1894
John Shilling-1898
Daniel Smart-1898
John Davies-1897
James Samuel Boyd-1898-1941
Benjamin Johnson-1892-1961 (Kru)
Tom Glasgow-1890/1896-1955
Sekon Camora (Frenchy)-1892-1973-Dis.A-957404
John ‘Reecy’ Glasgow-1898
Texas Brown-1897
Charles Brown-1895
George Smith-1891
Jacob Brown-1900
Walter Brown-1893. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Dis A. number-938099
Wilson Brown
James Watts-1890
James Payne-1891
Charles David-1889
Tom Savage-1895
Tom Savage-1888-1919-Died at 3, George Street Newport. June 1919 (Death registered the morning of the Race Riot).
Tom Savage-1891-1940
Tom Savage
Tom Savage
Jack Savage-1894/96-Later Moved to Cardiff. Dis. A number-973382
Tom Bestman-1890/92. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Dis. A number-329525
William Clark
Wyman Morris-1894
Patrick Galland-1891
Jack Pursor (Prosser)-1896
Joe/Joseph Ellis-1891
Jack Harris-1897
Jim Jock/Jack-1889. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. (Kru). Dis. A. Number-305095
John Dixon-1898. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. (Kru). Dis. A. Number-330109
Toby Jackson-1897. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Dis A. Number-366808
Sibol/Sobol Sunday-1888-26/09/1940. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Blu Mark on Forehead (possibly Kru). Dis. A. Number-301712
Percy Samuel White-1894
Charles Morris-1879
John Brass-1891
Patrick Williams-1886
George Leslie
Benjamin Yalley-1892. Listed Birth, Cape Coast. Dis. A. Number-885391
Jim Mannay-1892/93. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. (Kru). Dis. A. Number-330097
Jim Johnson
Thomas Newman-1889
Peter Allan/Allen-1899
John Issacs-1895
George Roberts-1888
Cardiff
John Africa-1895-1940. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Death, S.S. Treganna.
Soloman Bell-1897. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Dis. A. Number-R95892. Tribal Marks on Forehead, Bangle on right arm.
Abraham Emanuel Bright. 1899-1954. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Dis. A. Number- 853875. Interned at Milag Nord following capture on board S.S. Trelawny
Joe Brown
James Boyle-1887-1917
Sam Elliot-
Jacob Enfield-1895-1967. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone,
George Glasgow-1902. Liberia.
Sunday Ewake/Ekwikake Dennis-1913-2001
Lewis De Souza-1881
Tom Dixon-1884-1940. Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Death, S.S. Treganna. Dis. A Number 967552
Jim Doe (Daddy Doe)-1887-1957.
Benno Johnson
George Reeves-1892-1941
George Wilson
Sobo Doe (William Pratt)-1900-1921
Jim Sapol/Sapoe Mannay-1893-1951 (Kru). Listed Birth, Sierra Leone. Known Origin, West Coast of Liberia. Dis. A Number-955476
Samuel Walker-1879-1940. Listed Birth, West Africa. Death, S.S. Treganna
Jonathan Williams-1888
John Bull-1892-1918
Thomas Ingram-1880
Thomas Ingram-1895
Jeremiah Mbakwe-1897. Birth Listed, Nigeria.
Alfred J Mendi-1890-1956
Joe Mendi-1885-1941
Joe Mendi-1897-1949
Joe Mendi-1895
Joseph Mendi-1886-1971
Joseph Mendi-1883-1941
Jim Manny-1887
James Manny-Listed on Electoral Register as living with Jim Sapoe Mannay and others. possibly same Jim Manny as Dis. A. Number 915883, whose image with address is listed above.
James Manny Junior- As above
Philpot Williams-1898-1957
Setta Kru-1885-1918
John Liverpool-1890-1917
Tom Glasgow-1883
Ben Roberts-1894
Tom Davies-1898-1918
Tom Toby-1896-1918
Robert Wilson-1898
Festus Hermick-1872-1932
John Davies-1899
Issac Freeman-1892 Grand Bassa, Liberia.
Joe Hinton-1882-1917
Thomas Rodgers-1896-1918
John Henry Boston-1893/1896-1973. Freetown. Sierra Leone. (Soso).
John Smith Davids-1899-1967
John Davis Freeman-1891
Walter French-1900 (Owner of Frenchy’s Annexe)
Sam Walker-1889-1917, Killed by explosion on S.S Harmattan
Tom Williams-1893-1917
William Toby-1875/1880-1934. Dis.A. 453326. William Died at Sun City Studios while filming Sanders of the River.
Raymond L Remilekun Floode-1924
Joe Brown Coker
‘John’ Doe Wesley-1914
Vandi Joseph
James Roberts-Returned to Sierra Leone to Die there.
James Pratt-1886-1917
Christian Johnson-
Jim Doe-1893/95
Jim Doe(1)-1882
Jim Doe(2)-1879
Henry Bassey-
John Cole-1895-1918
Sam Williams-1896-1917
Samuel Dixon-
William Ogboo (Ogoo)-1841
James Nicolas-1892-1949
John Smith-
Joe Johnson-1886-1917
Thomas Sango/e-
John Sango-1876. Dis.A-297162
John Sango-1891/92. Dis.A-917550
John Sango-1893
John Sango-1895. Dis. A-847457-Perished in 1942 on Ocean Vanguard. (Also present was John Sango- Dis.A-917550)
Thomas (Tom) Toby-1898
Nathaniel Thomas Macauley-1867/9
James Coker-1885-1917
John Johnson-1890-1917
Jonathan Thomas
Joseph Bailey-1900-1927
Thomas Lee-1883
John Bull-1889-1918
John Peter-1874-1917
Moses Davies-1896
H Johnson-1894-1915
John Saugo-1888
Fine Boy-1896-1917
G A Bangaray-1893-1917
James Cole-1890-1917
J. Sampson-1884
Peter Johnson-1880
Peter Link-1877/79-1941 (Great Uncle to Benjamin Johnson and Jim Sapoe Mannay)
‘Tappa’ Try Best
Ed Jackson-1884
S. McCauley-1885
Jim Lewis-1874
Jim Gander-1875
John Sango-1872
Stephen Robinson-1872
Thomas Tobey-1881
Thomas Peter-1884
John Roberts-1978
Thomas Tobie-1875
John Hogan-1900-1941
James Hardy-1882-1841
Cebo Johnson-1926-1955
Mclean G Johnson-1890-1936
Charles Kingston-1894-1961
Samuel ‘Sami’ John-1886-Dis. A No-556656
James Watson
Thomas (Jazz Band) Walker-
Barry
William Brown-1892-1942
James G Faulkner-1868
Joseph George-1909-1941
David Jackson
John Thomas-1868
T. Williams-1891-1918
Liverpool
Thomas Bassey-1903-1959
Davies Nagba Harrison-1894
Peter Johnson
John Thomas-d1917
George Silvanus Smith-1888
Matheyeh Elliot-
Manchester
Meta Tom (Tom) Jasper-1896-1964. Chairman of Manchester Kru Club
Rhondda
William A George-1864
Swansea
Thomas Richmond-1799
Bangor
Isaac Peppell-1888-1917
John Thomas-1885-1917- Buried in Glanadda Cemetery, Bangor.
Milford Haven
John Myers-1894-1915
