George Africanus

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George John Scipio Africanus (c. 1763 – 19 May 1834) was a West African who was enslaved and later became a successful businessman in Nottingham, England. He is often called Nottingham’s first black entrepreneur.

Early life
- He was born around 1763 in a village in Sierra Leone and came to England as a child, probably in 1766. He was baptised on 31 March 1766 as George John Scipio Africanus, living with the Molineux family in Wolverhampton, where he began school. After the Molineux family faced a loss, he was raised by George Molineux and likely worked as a servant before training as a brass founder.

Move to Nottingham and family
- Around 1784, at about age 21, George moved to Nottingham. He married Esther Shaw on 3 August 1788 at St. Peter’s Church.

Business life
- About 1793, George and Esther started an employment agency, the Africanus’ Register of Servants, running from their home at 28 Chandlers Lane. The couple also did other jobs to make ends meet; George was listed as a brass founder but was also described as a waiter or labourer in some records.

Legacy
- They had seven children, but only one survived to adulthood. After George’s death in 1834, Esther continued running the business at Chandlers Lane.
- His grave was rediscovered in 2003 at St. Mary’s Churchyard in Nottingham. He is remembered with plaques: a green memorial plaque placed in 2003, and a blue plaque recognizing 28 Chandlers Lane added in 2014. A memorial service was held in 2007 to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, and an exhibition celebrated his life that year. Nottingham’s tram number 234 is named after him, and his story is part of the city’s Black history.