Sir Francis Drake ‘cancelled’ by primary school named after him
Sir Francis Drake #SirFrancisDrake
Sir Francis Drake has been cancelled by a primary school named after him over his links to the slave trade. The English explorer, sea captain, naval officer, politician, from Tavistock, was also a slave trader.
Sir Francis Drake Primary School in Deptford, South East London, asked its parents, teachers and pupils if they felt the name should be changed. After the poll, the name was changed to Twin Oaks Primary School.
The school was originally named after the famous explorer as he was knighted in Deptford in 1581, before helping defeat the Spanish Armada’s invasion of England in 1588. In 2020, Drake’s history, along with his cousin Sir John Hawkins and Bristol’s Edward Colston, were placed under the microscope, when the Black Lives Matter movement swept across the world following the murder of George Floyd in the USA.
Read more: Sir Francis Drake and John Hawkins: Slave trade story behind Plymouth figures on Britain’s Most Historic Towns
Statues of Drake on Plymouth Hoe and in Tavistock town centre came under fire as protesters and petitioners called for the statues to be taken down, but it wasn’t long before counter petitions opposed the idea, highlighting the fact that Sir Francis had been credited with much more than just his involvement in the slave trade.
Tavistock Town Council at the time said they had no plans to remove the statue of Sir Francis Drake, but in the interests of historic completeness, it is clear that more could, and should, be done to portray his whole history. They passed a motion to put an interpretation board or plaque at a safe location, explaining the explorer’s links to the slave trade, and despite receiving 89 written objections – including some arguing Sir Francis was a ‘national hero’ – it is now in place.
At the school, 89 per cent of 450 parents, staff, pupils and local residents voted in favour of the name change. Headteacher Karen Cartwright said she was “thrilled” with the name change which she described as an “exciting new chapter.”
The new name was originally suggested by pupils because two oak trees grow around its entrance. The links associated with the school’s former name had been “at odds” with its values, according to governors who decided to launch a consultation over a change of name.
Pupils will take part in a competition to design a new logo and once this has been done the school’s building will receive a new sign. In a letter the head said costs would be kept to a minimum, adding pupils would be able to continue wearing their current uniform until they outgrew it and non-branded jumpers could still be worn.
Drake was Member of Parliament (MP) for three constituencies; Camelford in 1581, Bossiney in 1584, and Plymouth in 1593. As well as being credited for defeating the Spanish Armada’s invasion of England in 1588, he also became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
Following his career as naval officer, he drifted into piracy and was also one of the earliest slave traders, bringing African men and women to work in the English colonies of North America in the 16th Century.
What do you think of the name change? Let us know in the comments.
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