​In 1791, the celebrity abolitionist author known as Gustavus Vassa and Olaudah Equiano, having supervised the printing of the third edition of his 1789 Interesting Narrative, set off on a book tour in England, Ireland and Scotland. He spent the spring of 1791 in Yorkshire, staying first in Huddersfield, then Leeds, and finally York. He stayed with friends of friends, subscribers to his book, and members of the abolitionist networks. In York, Equiano stayed with Quaker William Tuke in a house on Castlegate. We know as much because Equiano advertised the fact in the Yorkshire Chronicle, on 24 April. As a self-published author, who had chosen to retain his copyright, Equiano did much of his own selling, so needed people to find him. 

​Although he does not give the house number, it is likely that the inhabitants of York would have known where Tuke’s house was, or found it easily. Tuke was a grocer who sold tea, coffee and chocolate, and Castlegate is a very small street. The building still stands, and currently houses a dental clinic. 

Welcome to my new blog!
Before I add any content, I wanted to pay tribute to the beautiful location for my research. As well as having access to everything the University of York has to offer, including the amazing King's Manor library, the city of York has plenty of useful and beautiful resources. 
This week I'll be mostly working in the Explore Library and Archives, a lovely big building located in the Museum Gardens, home to Medieval buildings and a ruined abbey.  
I will be looking up local history relevant to my project - lots of abolitionists spent time in York - and spending my breaks (weather allowing) sketching old stones and pretty trees in the garden. So watch this space for posts on Olaudah Equiano and on the Fairfax family of York in the coming weeks.