Paxton Trust

Parallel Lives: exploring Paxton’s historical links with slavery

This project brought Paxton House’s archives, costume, and Recognised furniture collections together with its strong historical links with slavery in Grenada. It is part of long-term planning to decolonise Paxton, embedding the histories deeper within the site’s interpretation and strengthening community partnerships.

A programme of creative engagement enabled children from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Scotland, London and beyond to learn about shared histories and respond creatively.

Working with in partnership with the African-Caribbean group Descendants, Paxton’s team interpreted British, African, and Caribbean history onsite and online at Paxton House in new exhibitions. Grant funding has enabled more collections to be conserved and displayed.

The exhibitions created are:

• ‘Parallel Lives, Worlds Apart’, showcasing Paxton’s unique 18th century costume with specially commissioned replica costumes to represent those people whose clothing did not survive within the context of enslavement history (such as an African King and Queen, named enslaved individuals, and enslavers)
• A new permanent exhibition on the history of Paxton’s Caribbean connections and slavery
• A new ‘Sugar and Slavery Trail’, which is online and throughout Paxton House
• An exhibition of Descendants and local children’s creative responses to slavery history

‘Parallel Lives, Worlds Apart’ features eighteen 18th century costume items, plus twelve specially commissioned costumes. The ‘Caribbean Connections, Paxton, and Slavery’ exhibition features a variety of Paxton’s collections, digital interpretation, a plantation model, contemporary and traditional African textiles and jewellery.

The ‘Sugar and Slavery Trail’ incorporates over 90 objects in 17 rooms in the house and online, including 24 Recognised Chippendale furniture items specially conserved for the trail with Museums Galleries Scotland funding.

11 workshops on slavery history were delivered to 59 pupils at Eyemouth High School and Paxton House by Paxton and Descendants staff. Following their online children’s workshop programme (engaging 60 children, aged 4-16), 55 members of Descendants came from London to Paxton’s Caribbean Connections Celebration. They joined local children and families for a programme of African and Scottish dancing, African drumming, carnival costume making, and a mini tour of the house.

By May 2023, with an extension to the EFCF funded postholder’s contract, 1,370 slavery-related archives have been made accessible online, with volunteers continuing a programme to transcribe them in full. Further digital interpretation is now being developed. Evaluation is ongoing, but in three and a half months, 2,590 people visited the exhibitions.

Parallel Lives was shortlisted for the Reimagining the Museum Award at the Museums Change Lives Awards 2022.