Conference NTS

SLAVERY AND THE WEST OF SCOTLAND CONFERENCE 2007
Saturday 27th October 2007
Hutchesons’ Hall, Ingram Street, Glasgow 10am – 4.30pm (Admission £10, Concessions £5)
The economic growth of Glasgow and the West Scotland, during the 18th century, was based on colonial trade – which relied almost entirely on slavery and the slave trade. This conference presents new research on the connections between the West of Scotland and the slave trade and will cover history, archaeology, art and architecture.
For further information and to book a place contact Derek Alexander 0141 616 5120 or email dalexander@nts.org.uk

Speakers
William Kilbride – Conference Chair
Geoff Palmer - 'Scotland and Caribbean Slavery'
Stuart Nisbet – ‘Grinding Oppression: Scots, Sugar Mills and Slavery’
Fiona Hayes - 'The Glassford Family Portrait: A Hidden Legacy'
Debbie Jackson/Derek Alexander – ‘This Is Our Story – NTS properties, the slave trade & Scipio Kennedy’
Charles McKean – ‘An 18th century transatlantic plantation architecture’
Eric Graham – ‘Black People in Scotland during the Slavery Era’
Alan Steel - 'Sankofa: Africans in Scotland before the slave trade'
Jim Muotune – tbc

Light refreshments will be provided for morning and afternoon breaks. Please make your own arrangements for lunch – there is a wide choice of cafes and restaurants in the area. Borders Bookshop is a five-minute walk.
Delegates will be able to see the National Trust for Scotland’s travelling display This is Our Story on Scotland and the Slave Trade.
Hutchesons’ Hall is set in Glasgow’s Merchant City. Delegates may book for a guided walk around the Merchant City, with Stuart Nisbet, on Sunday 28th October.

Venue: Hutchesons’ Hall
Getting there: Set in the centre of Glasgow, near George Square, the venue is about a 10-15 minute walk from Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street stations, and the main bus station. There are several car parks within the vicinity of Hutchesons' Hall. OS reference NS594652 If you require more details about getting there, phone Hutchesons' Hall on 0844 493 2199.
The Venue: Set within Glasgow’s Merchant City, Hutchesons’ Hall is one of the most elegant buildings in the city. Originally designed by David Hamilton in 1802-5, it housed offices, a meeting room and orphan school for the charity founded (in the 1600s) by the Hutcheson brothers. When the school was moved in the 1870s, major interior alterations were made by James Baird. The great hall is approached is by a grand staircase. The interior of the hall is a good example of Glasgow Victoriana with a fine ceiling and examples of stained glasswork and ceramic tiles.

This is Our Story
This conference, which is taking place during Black History Month, is part of an NTS project This is Our Story . Throughout 2007, there has been a national commemoration service at the David Livingstone Centre, an excavation (in search of the freed slave Scipio Kennedy's home) at Culzean Country Park, community events and school workshops. The project has been funded by HLF and South Lanarkshire Council.
The conference has been organised by the National Trust for Scotland (Derek Alexander, Debbie Jackson) and Renfrewshire Local History Forum (Stuart Nisbet).