Latest news with #WilliamGladstone
Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Britain lacked a museum about its prime ministers — until now
Britain will have a new museum from this Friday in Westminster Hall, celebrating 300 years of the office of prime minister and its relationship with parliament. The absence thus far of a museum to the prime minister, the longest lasting leader's office in the democratic world, is shocking. Other countries, including India and Australia, have museums or exhibitions to their own prime ministers. The US has presidential libraries celebrating the achievements of its presidents. In Britain, some individual prime ministers, such as William Gladstone at Hawarden in Wales and Winston Churchill at Chartwell in Kent, have their own museums. But the vast majority have I was vice-chancellor at the University of Buckingham, I tried to found a Margaret Thatcher Museum at the university
Scotsman
05-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Chicago couple reveal £1m vision for 456-year-old Scottish castle revamp
Grade A-listed Balbegno Castle is being returned to its former glory by its new owners from the US. Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A couple who moved from Chicago to buy a Scottish castle have revealed their £1 million vision for the 16th-century pile. Balbegno Castle, near Fettercairn in Aberdeenshire, was once part of Glen Dye Estate and recently sold off by the great, great grandson of former prime minister William Gladstone. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Grade A listed Balbegno Castle near Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire, is undergoing a £1m renovation by a couple who have relocated from Chicago. PIC: Savills. | Savills It was bought by Caroline and Lee Betsill, a financier, for £870,000 early last year. Mrs Betshill, who had an interiors business in the US, earlier spoke of falling in love with the property. 'We could see beyond the mess,' she said. Now, the couple, who lived in Surrey before moving to the US ten years ago, have applied to Aberdeenshire Council for permission to renovate the Grade A listed property into a 'wondferful family home'. READ MORE: Inside Scottish castle restored by US tequila tycoon Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mrs Betsill earlier said the overhaul would cost in the region of £1m. The castle has five or six bedrooms, but this will increase to nine under the plans. A statement to planners said: 'The property was bought to allow the family to relocate to a wonderful family home. The intention is not only to create a family home from the tower, Georgian wing and Victorian offshoot, but to do so respectfully and sympathetically. 'Skilled trades will be sought locally. Materials will be utilised from the grounds where possible. 'Historic building stone is available within the grounds and will be utilised in the new garden walls. A number of trees have come down in the storms of the last 12 months and a sawmill has been approached to remove and cut into sections for building and finishing.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Balbegno Castle was first constructed in 1569 by an Angus noble of the House of Bonnington. The original building still stands, but several additions have been made over time, including a farm house. Alterations to a Georgian wing, featuring a dining room and drawing room, are to be stripped back to help create a 'grander scale' entranceway. A report to planners said: 'An existing kitchen within the rear Victorian offshoot feels relatively uncomfortable within the layout considering the proximity to both dining room and vaulted hall. The proposal is to relocate the kitchen to its original location within the vaulted cellar. An historically added partition will be removed to accommodate the kitchen.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Victorian extension will instead be used as a mud room and cloakroom. A beautiful vaulted hall on the first floor will also be renovated. A wall on the northside will be removed to uncover the original fireplace and work will be carried out to see if a servants' staircase to the hall has been concealed. The exterior of the building will be protected by more rainwater pipes and a TV aerial and satellite dish will be removed, as will a harled chimney that 'is in danger of collapse'. An EV charger will also be fitted. The report added: 'The alterations and proposals noted here and shown on the submission drawings are designed to allow the castle to be utilised as a functional and comfortable family home whilst respecting the existing history and fabric of the property. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The castle, in areas, is in a poor state of repair both internally and externally. Historic water ingress has damaged both structure and finishes.
The Independent
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Descendants of slave owners in the Caribbean call for reparations at the UN
The great-great-grandson of 19th-century British Prime Minister William Gladstone said he was horrified to learn seven years ago that his ancestors were slave owners in Jamaica and Guyana. And former BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan said she learned after records of Britain's Slave Compensation Commission were put online in 2013 that one of her ancestors, Sir John Trevelyan, owned sugar cane plantations in Grenada and about 1,000 enslaved people. They spoke at a meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York this past week where, for the first time, descendants of slave owners and enslaved people in former British colonies in the Caribbean sat at the same table with diplomats and experts from those nations discussing the contentious issue of reparations. 'This was a historic event,' said Trevelyan, who moderated the meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent's weeklong session. From about the year 1500, millions of West Africans were sent to work mainly on plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas, including the southern United States. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk told the forum that an estimated 25 million to 30 million Africans were uprooted for the purpose of slavery. Few nations have apologized for their role in slavery, and reparations have been the subject of much debate. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council has called for global action for years, including reparations, apologies and educational reforms to make amends for racism against people of African descent. The 15-nation Caribbean Community, known as CARICOM, has a 10-point plan for reparatory justice, starting with demands for European countries where enslaved people were kept and traded to issue formal apologies. Türk noted a European Union statement in 2023 profoundly regretting the 'untold suffering' caused by the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the African Union's designation of 2025 as the 'Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.' At the meeting of descendants of enslaved people and slave owners on Tuesday, Trevelyan spoke of her family's decision to apologize to Grenada and to make a contribution of 100,000 British pounds (about $133,000) toward education in the Caribbean island nation. Going to Grenada with family and apologizing 'wasn't exactly smooth sailing,' said Trevelyan, who left the BBC and has become a campaigner for reparations. There were protests by one group that thought the apology was inadequate and the money not enough. Also at the meeting was Aidee Walker, who said she was shocked when a DNA test revealed she was not only predominantly Scots-Irish but also part Nigerian, then discovered that her great-great-great-grandfather, who moved to New Zealand, was the son of a slave owner in Jamaica named John Malcolm and an African housekeeper. Walker and her sister, Kate Thomas, said when they found out they felt they had to do something. Thomas said she discovered what Trevelyan was doing and got in touch with Verene Shepherd, a professor emeritus and vice chair of the CARICOM reparations commission, who encouraged the sisters to start with the apology. Charles Gladstone, meanwhile, said he felt 'a profound sense of guilt' after learning that former Prime Minister Gladstone's father owned estates with enslaved people — and that a great deal of his privileged life 'was essentially connected to this criminal past.' He said he apologized to Guyana and Jamaica and will try to do something 'to make the world a better place.' While Britain's role in abolishing slavery in 1833 is widely taught, Gladstone said, its involvement in the trade 'has been completely buried.' The history must be told, he said, because "the evils of this crime against humanity are not historical, they're felt very, very profoundly today.' Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador, James Kariuki, attended the meeting but did not speak. The British Mission, asked for a comment, sent a statement from Development Minister Anneliese Dodds to Parliament on Feb. 25 saying she and Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been 'absolutely clear that we will not be making cash transfers and payments to the Caribbean.' Gladstone said supporters of reparations must keep working together. If thousands of families like his stand up and say, "'We would like to do something about this,' then there is a chance that the government in Britain could do something more substantial," he said. Thomas agreed. 'If we can get the numbers, then that could influence institutions and governments to act,' she said. 'It's a really great start to what I think will be a lifelong journey." Shepherd, who taught at the University of the West Indies, said there have not been many apologies and, while some Europeans express remorse or regret for slavery, 'no one is talking about reparations.' Arley Gill, chairman of Grenada's National Reparations Commission, said, however, he sees positive movement toward reparative justice globally and believes 'we are on a good path to ensure these crimes against humanity are being recognized by the colonial powers.' Antigua's U.N. ambassador, Walton Webson, who is chair of the Caribbean ambassadors' caucus, ended the meeting by saying, 'We have reached the point where speaking of reparations is no longer taboo.' Now, he said, it's time to put reparations 'on the lips of every child, every person' and start to take action.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Descendants of slave owners and enslaved people in the Caribbean call for reparations at the UN
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The great-great-grandson of 19th-century British Prime Minister William Gladstone said he was horrified to learn seven years ago that his ancestors were slave owners in Jamaica and Guyana. And former BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan said she learned after records of Britain's Slave Compensation Commission were put online in 2013 that one of her ancestors, Sir John Trevelyan, owned sugar cane plantations in Grenada and about 1,000 enslaved people. They spoke at a meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York this past week where, for the first time, descendants of slave owners and enslaved people in former British colonies in the Caribbean sat at the same table with diplomats and experts from those nations discussing the contentious issue of reparations. 'This was a historic event,' said Trevelyan, who moderated the meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent's weeklong session. From about the year 1500, millions of West Africans were sent to work mainly on plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas, including the southern United States. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk told the forum that an estimated 25 million to 30 million Africans were uprooted for the purpose of slavery. Few nations have apologized for their role in slavery, and reparations have been the subject of much debate. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council has called for global action for years, including reparations, apologies and educational reforms to make amends for racism against people of African descent. The 15-nation Caribbean Community, known as CARICOM, has a 10-point plan for reparatory justice, starting with demands for European countries where enslaved people were kept and traded to issue formal apologies. Türk noted a European Union statement in 2023 profoundly regretting the 'untold suffering' caused by the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the African Union's designation of 2025 as the 'Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.' At the meeting of descendants of enslaved people and slave owners on Tuesday, Trevelyan spoke of her family's decision to apologize to Grenada and to make a contribution of 100,000 British pounds (about $133,000) toward education in the Caribbean island nation. Going to Grenada with family and apologizing 'wasn't exactly smooth sailing,' said Trevelyan, who left the BBC and has become a campaigner for reparations. There were protests by one group that thought the apology was inadequate and the money not enough. Also at the meeting was Aidee Walker, who said she was shocked when a DNA test revealed she was not only predominantly Scots-Irish but also part Nigerian, then discovered that her great-great-great-grandfather, who moved to New Zealand, was the son of a slave owner in Jamaica named John Malcolm and an African housekeeper. Walker and her sister, Kate Thomas, said when they found out they felt they had to do something. Thomas said she discovered what Trevelyan was doing and got in touch with Verene Shepherd, a professor emeritus and vice chair of the CARICOM reparations commission, who encouraged the sisters to start with the apology. Charles Gladstone, meanwhile, said he felt 'a profound sense of guilt' after learning that former Prime Minister Gladstone's father owned estates with enslaved people — and that a great deal of his privileged life 'was essentially connected to this criminal past.' He said he apologized to Guyana and Jamaica and will try to do something 'to make the world a better place.' While Britain's role in abolishing slavery in 1833 is widely taught, Gladstone said, its involvement in the trade 'has been completely buried.' The history must be told, he said, because "the evils of this crime against humanity are not historical, they're felt very, very profoundly today.' Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador, James Kariuki, attended the meeting but did not speak. The British Mission, asked for a comment, sent a statement from Development Minister Anneliese Dodds to Parliament on Feb. 25 saying she and Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been 'absolutely clear that we will not be making cash transfers and payments to the Caribbean.' Gladstone said supporters of reparations must keep working together. If thousands of families like his stand up and say, "'We would like to do something about this,' then there is a chance that the government in Britain could do something more substantial," he said. Thomas agreed. 'If we can get the numbers, then that could influence institutions and governments to act,' she said. 'It's a really great start to what I think will be a lifelong journey." Shepherd, who taught at the University of the West Indies, said there have not been many apologies and, while some Europeans express remorse or regret for slavery, 'no one is talking about reparations.' Arley Gill, chairman of Grenada's National Reparations Commission, said, however, he sees positive movement toward reparative justice globally and believes 'we are on a good path to ensure these crimes against humanity are being recognized by the colonial powers.' Antigua's U.N. ambassador, Walton Webson, who is chair of the Caribbean ambassadors' caucus, ended the meeting by saying, 'We have reached the point where speaking of reparations is no longer taboo.' Now, he said, it's time to put reparations 'on the lips of every child, every person' and start to take action.
The Independent
20-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Descendants of slave owners and enslaved people in the Caribbean call for reparations at the UN
The great-great-grandson of 19th-century British Prime Minister William Gladstone said he was horrified to learn seven years ago that his ancestors were slave owners in Jamaica and Guyana. And former BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan said she learned after records of Britain's Slave Compensation Commission were put online in 2013 that one of her ancestors, Sir John Trevelyan, owned sugar cane plantations in Grenada and about 1,000 enslaved people. They spoke at a meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York this past week where, for the first time, descendants of slave owners and enslaved people in former British colonies in the Caribbean sat at the same table with diplomats and experts from those nations discussing the contentious issue of reparations. 'This was a historic event,' said Trevelyan, who moderated the meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent's weeklong session. From about the year 1500, millions of West Africans were sent to work mainly on plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas, including the southern United States. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk told the forum that an estimated 25 million to 30 million Africans were uprooted for the purpose of slavery. Few nations have apologized for their role in slavery, and reparations have been the subject of much debate. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council has called for global action for years, including reparations, apologies and educational reforms to make amends for racism against people of African descent. The 15-nation Caribbean Community, known as CARICOM, has a 10-point plan for reparatory justice, starting with demands for European countries where enslaved people were kept and traded to issue formal apologies. Türk noted a European Union statement in 2023 profoundly regretting the 'untold suffering' caused by the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the African Union's designation of 2025 as the 'Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.' At the meeting of descendants of enslaved people and slave owners on Tuesday, Trevelyan spoke of her family's decision to apologize to Grenada and to make a contribution of 100,000 British pounds (about $133,000) toward education in the Caribbean island nation. Going to Grenada with family and apologizing 'wasn't exactly smooth sailing,' said Trevelyan, who left the BBC and has become a campaigner for reparations. There were protests by one group that thought the apology was inadequate and the money not enough. Also at the meeting was Aidee Walker, who said she was shocked when a DNA test revealed she was not only predominantly Scots-Irish but also part Nigerian, then discovered that her great-great-great-grandfather, who moved to New Zealand, was the son of a slave owner in Jamaica named John Malcolm and an African housekeeper. Walker and her sister, Kate Thomas, said when they found out they felt they had to do something. Thomas said she discovered what Trevelyan was doing and got in touch with Verene Shepherd, a professor emeritus and vice chair of the CARICOM reparations commission, who encouraged the sisters to start with the apology. Charles Gladstone, meanwhile, said he felt 'a profound sense of guilt' after learning that former Prime Minister Gladstone's father owned estates with enslaved people — and that a great deal of his privileged life 'was essentially connected to this criminal past.' He said he apologized to Guyana and Jamaica and will try to do something 'to make the world a better place.' While Britain's role in abolishing slavery in 1833 is widely taught, Gladstone said, its involvement in the trade 'has been completely buried.' The history must be told, he said, because "the evils of this crime against humanity are not historical, they're felt very, very profoundly today.' Britain's deputy U.N. ambassador, James Kariuki, attended the meeting but did not speak. The British Mission, asked for a comment, sent a statement from Development Minister Anneliese Dodds to Parliament on Feb. 25 saying she and Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been 'absolutely clear that we will not be making cash transfers and payments to the Caribbean.' Gladstone said supporters of reparations must keep working together. If thousands of families like his stand up and say, "'We would like to do something about this,' then there is a chance that the government in Britain could do something more substantial," he said. Thomas agreed. 'If we can get the numbers, then that could influence institutions and governments to act,' she said. 'It's a really great start to what I think will be a lifelong journey." Shepherd, who taught at the University of the West Indies, said there have not been many apologies and, while some Europeans express remorse or regret for slavery, 'no one is talking about reparations.' Arley Gill, chairman of Grenada's National Reparations Commission, said, however, he sees positive movement toward reparative justice globally and believes 'we are on a good path to ensure these crimes against humanity are being recognized by the colonial powers.' Antigua's U.N. ambassador, Walton Webson, who is chair of the Caribbean ambassadors' caucus, ended the meeting by saying, 'We have reached the point where speaking of reparations is no longer taboo.' Now, he said, it's time to put reparations 'on the lips of every child, every person' and start to take action.
