Statue (or lack of it) of Robert Milligan

I was intrigued to see one of the statues which had been removed as part of the Black Lives Matter campaign and as I would blog a new statue thought I would blog my thoughts on one disappearing.

The statue of Robert Milligan, merchant and slave trader, stood outside the Museum of London overlooking West India Docks which he helped to construct. I must admit I have never consciously noticed it but did on this visit go to see the effect of its removal.

I generally feel that statutes should be left as we cannot change our history, but should have new labelling to explain who the person is, why a statue might have been erected to them in the first place and how their legacy might be viewed now. In this case slavery was a terrible thing but it won’t have gone away by eradicating references to it. It should not be lauded but equally it should not be forgotten, as it has made the world the way it is, but we should acknowledge the damage that has done and problems the effects of it still create today. In that area of London even the presence of the dockland area is a testament to Britain’s involvement in the slave trade. Maybe in this case the issue should have been addressed back in 1997 when it was re-erected following the redevelopment of the docks.

Anyway just my philosophical musings while drinking a coffee sitting on the plinth. I realised how much the street furniture of statues just merges into the background after a while and we don’t really see it and how the streets of London themselves are a layering of our history both good and bad.  

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