Ignatius+Sancho

I[|gnatius Sancho] was born on the west coast of Africa around 1729. His mother died of illness and his father committed suicide rather than become a slave. When Sancho was two years old he was taken to England and given to three sisters. He taught himself to read with the assistance of a neighbor and became educated. He soon became a butler for the Montagu family whom helped to educate him. In 1758 he married Anne Osborne and evetually had six children with her.

After suffering from gout, the[| Montagu] family provided Sancho with enough money to buy his own shop in 1773 in Westminster. He sold all of the basics such as sugar tea and tobacco. Although his shop was small, Sancho had many regular customers with whom he would talk to regularly and give advice. In the 1780 parliamentary elect Sancho was even able to vote, because he fulfilled the land owning requirement for an English voter

Sancho is most famous for his many correspondences to with people throughout Britain. Many of his letters expressed an outrage towards the slavery. His most famous correspondence was with novelist [|Laurence Sterne]. In which he discussed his views on slavery and how he used it in his last novel.

Ignatius Sancho died on December 14 1989 after an almost 20 year struggle with gout. Following his death a book was published of all the the letters and correspondences that Sancho had kept during his life.

Sancho will be known for a long time as the first African to be allowed to vote in a British election. IT is also very important to also not that he was one of the first Africans to lead a middle class life style. For most ex-slaves of this time middle class was not an option and Sancho proved that slaves could become educated, business owners, musicians, and voters.

References: "The Life of Ignatius Sancho." __Brycchan Carey - Home Page__. 23 Feb. 2009 . "Ignatius Sancho." __Saint Georges__. 9 Feb. 1923 . >.

"Laurence Sterne." __Laurence Sterne__. 9 Feb. 1923 .