Slavery, Colonialism and Civic Culture: The Development of Philanthropic Institutions in North East Scotland

Abstract

This article explores the links between the development of civic culture, philanthropic endeavours, and the proceeds of enslavement and colonialism in North East Scotland. Assessment of the financial records of establishments dedicated to improving health, poor relief and education in this region underpins this article. This article demonstrates that the North East's colonial elite were keen philanthropists in ways similar to their counterparts elsewhere in Britain. Colonial capital played a discernible – if at times minor – role in funding North East philanthropy. There were differing degrees of impact across each institution, both in the scale of the financial contribution and its geographical provenance. Moreover, the evidence detailed in this article suggests that the Caribbean and South Asia milieu in the North East took different approaches to philanthropy. The former contributed more regularly and often to existing institutions; the latter tended toward endowing new projects. Deriving its conclusions from under-examined evidence and a Caribbean-South Asia comparative framework, this article shows that research on philanthropic organisations can generate a clearer understanding of the legacies of enslavement and colonialism in Scotland.