Edward Colston: life of the week

Richard Stone explores the life – and complex afterlife – of Edward Colston, considering how we should understand his legacy today

Published: July 14, 2026 at 9:36 AM

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Edward Colston was a philanthropist and slave trader in the 17th and 18th centuries. He is infamous today for the fact that a statue of him was pulled down by a crowd of protestors in central Bristol in 2020 and dumped in the river.

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Richard Stone explores his life, in conversation with David Musgrove, and considers how we should understand his complex legacy today.

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If you'd like to know more about the impact of the Barbary pirates on British society, check out this fascinating article by Adam Nichols detailing a personal story of an Englishwoman who was captured by them

Authors

Dr David Musgrove, FSAContent director

David Musgrove is the content director at HistoryExtra

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