What was he doing here?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....pswich-year-1190.html

/// He was an African who had a strong jaw and a bad back... So what was he doing in Ipswich in the year 1190? ///

Answers please.

[factor-fiction]

Are you going to blame Labour's immigration policies?

[naomi24]

I don't understand the question. Why would you assume that an African was unable to travel outside Africa?

[jno]

lol factor30. aog, try reading the article rather than just cutting and pasting the headline (or watch the programme on telly, which was very interesting). They think he was probably a trader: Ipswich was a port.

[boxtops]

I read a lot of books with historical context and people are often surprised to find out how much intercontinental travel there was, hundreds of years ago. We went there, they came here - much smaller numbers, but it happened, he might have come with a retinue in some rich man's household. The Romans travelled all across Europe and brought all races with them. Could be one of many reasons!

[boxtops]

^ and yes, jno is right - ships passed all over the trading routes from many countries in the early Middle Ages.

[jno]

if you do want to watch it, it's here on iPlayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...old_Case_Ipswich_Man/

[redman41]

Was he the first foreign Football Manager and had come over to Manage Ipswich Town FC

[Zeuhl]

In the 12th and 13th centuries, many people from this country were living and working abroad, most notably the Middle East; this country had not long been taken over by a bunch of europeans and folk from all over the known world found their way here as part of the international movement of goods and people.

They were funny old times weren't they?

[anotheoldgit]

jno

Have read it, watched it, and was interested.

I just thought it would provoke more intelligent comments than yours, on what is after all, a slow news day.

[bigfoot3000]

Very interesting article and I will be watching the program in jno's link when I have more time.

[jno]

You asked why he was here.

The article said why he was here. So did I.

Perhaps it wasn't the answer that was unintelligent?

[anotheoldgit]

jno

Wrong again I asked "What was he doing here"?

Since it was over 800 years ago, both the article, others, and even you can only speculate why he was here.

All I asked for were answers, that of course would either be comical or serious speculation.

[VHG]

When the Romans came here 2,000 years ago they often bought soldiers from OTHER lands (non italian) to fight, then stay as guards etc.

It was too risky for the Romans have say German guards in Germany (in case they all got together for an uprising in their own country).

So many of the guards on Hadrians wall for example were not Italian/Roman but from countries all over Europe (Romania, Germany etc).

Anyway, as has been said rich Romans could well have brought black slaves/workers to the UK and of course some would have died here.

When you watch time team it is amazing how often they find pottery that was from foreign lands, so a huge amount of trade went on between the UK and countires like France, Spain and beyond.

[Zeuhl]

I sometimes think that whenever evidence of an african turn up outside africa the assumption is that they were involved in slavery.

Many africans moved around particularly as seamen.

The black populations of Liverpool and London were predominantly built, not on ex slaves, but on seafarers who got off and decided to settle down there.

[anotheoldgit]

VHG

/// Anyway, as has been said rich Romans could well have brought black slaves/workers to the UK and of course some would have died here. //

Yes but if he was a slave or common worker, I doubt if he would have been important enough to have a Christian burial in a medieval Christian friary.

Most likely coming from North Africa, he would have been a Muslim.

[Kromovaracun]

"Yes but if he was a slave or common worker, I doubt if he would have been important enough to have a Christian burial in a medieval Christian friary. "

If he were a slave/servant, it's possible (though I agree not that likely) his owner/employer could have had some kind of sentimental attachment and given him a Christian burial out of that. Perhaps being well-intentioned even if he was a muslim.