Jonathan Sims (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
intheeyeofthebeholding) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2022-07-11 02:22 pm
intheeyeofthebeholding) wrote in fandomhigh2022-07-11 02:22 pm
Entry tags:
British History, Monday
Jon fiddled for quite a while with the projector, trying to get it to show his screen. Look, he was an avatar of dread knowledge, not of tech support. Eventually, it showed a picture.
"John Blanke. Or possible 'Blak', there's some dispute. One of the earliest well-attested Black people in England after the Romans left. Well, 'left', but anyway. Probably came as one of Catherine of Aragon's attendants in the early years of the sixteenth century. Just to be clear, when I say 'earliest well-attested', what I mean is not a lot was written about average people in a way that's come down to us, not that he was the first ever Black man there. We know there were others living there, we simply don't know much about them. Still, anybody trying to complain that only whites are 'historically accurate' can get stuffed, preferably with pages of history texts." Ahem.
"Anyway, he was a trumpeter, as you can see." He waved at the picture. "This is from the Westminster Tournament Roll, a set of documents depicting a joust called by Henry VIII to celebrate the birth of his first son. He played at Henry's coronation and at his father's funeral.
"We also know he successfully petitioned the king to take the position of a dead trumpeter, then successfully petitioned to have his wages doubled, and when he was married, the king gave him wedding gifts including a purple gown. He was there, he was known, and he was valued."
Jon nodded decisively. "So, let me know if there are any questions, and I'll try to answer anything I can about life at that time or what we know of that John."
"John Blanke. Or possible 'Blak', there's some dispute. One of the earliest well-attested Black people in England after the Romans left. Well, 'left', but anyway. Probably came as one of Catherine of Aragon's attendants in the early years of the sixteenth century. Just to be clear, when I say 'earliest well-attested', what I mean is not a lot was written about average people in a way that's come down to us, not that he was the first ever Black man there. We know there were others living there, we simply don't know much about them. Still, anybody trying to complain that only whites are 'historically accurate' can get stuffed, preferably with pages of history texts." Ahem.
"Anyway, he was a trumpeter, as you can see." He waved at the picture. "This is from the Westminster Tournament Roll, a set of documents depicting a joust called by Henry VIII to celebrate the birth of his first son. He played at Henry's coronation and at his father's funeral.
"We also know he successfully petitioned the king to take the position of a dead trumpeter, then successfully petitioned to have his wages doubled, and when he was married, the king gave him wedding gifts including a purple gown. He was there, he was known, and he was valued."
Jon nodded decisively. "So, let me know if there are any questions, and I'll try to answer anything I can about life at that time or what we know of that John."
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