Historians want to hear from anyone who can add to the story. A search has been launched to find the descendants of a slave who escaped America and settled in Oldham. The remarkable life of James Johnson is the subject of a talk being given in the town to mark the country's first ever Anti-Slavery Day. It's based on a pamphlet in the town's archives written by his daughter Alice following his death in 1914. Historians at Oldham Council are now asking for help in tracing descendants of James and Alice Johnson. Escape James Johnson lived for 40 years in Oldham and, by the turn of the last century, was a respected church figure, becoming a local evangelist. But how he arrived in a Lancashire mill town is a tale of human trafficking, cruelty and, ultimately, a daring escape to freedom. Born in North Carolina, on March 20, 1947, Johnson was sold as a slave for $825 to a George Washington, under whom he worked as a coachman. He flogged me until the blood streamed down my back, an then ordered some of the other negroes to wash me in salt and water, in order to cure my lacerated back

James Johnson, former slave But, during the American Civil War, he managed to escape by swimming out to a Northern warship before working his passage to Liverpool in 1862. Over the next four years, Johnson travelled across England, often begging to survive - he even worked as a sparring partner to a boxer - before settling in Oldham in September 1866 where he found a job as a blacksmith's striker. His remarkable life was recorded by his daughter Alice Johnson, born to second wife Mary Ann Cook whom he married in 1891. Her booklet about his life includes this account he gave of being tied to a tree as a slave and punished by his master: "He flogged me until the blood streamed down my back, and then ordered some of the other negroes to wash me in salt and water, in order to cure my lacerated back as soon as possible...; but the suffering enduring by such a proceeding can only be felt, it cannot be described." This records his reaction when a fellow slave, called Rebecca, tried to escape and was captured and punished: "I became so down-hearted... that I tried to put an end to my miserable existence by eating the leaves of a poisonous plant... upon which my master got spirits of turpentine and clay mixed together, and forced it down my throat, in order that I might be sickened of it." His story is to feature in a talk at Gallery Oldham, and a small display on Alice Johnson's pamphlet, 'The Life of James Johnson An Escaped Slave from the Southern States of America, 40 Years resident in Oldham, England.' Cockle pickers Meanwhile, staff at Oldham Local Studies & Archives want hear from any descendants of Alice Johnson, or anyone who can add further information to the Johnsons' story. ANTI-SLAVERY DAY IN OLDHAM Events marking the town's links with slavery Talk at Gallery Oldham on escaped slave James Johnson who settled in the town Launch of Fired Up: a ceramics exhibition exploring the persistence of people trafficking in the 21st century Includes a special teacup made in 2007 to commemorate the deaths of the Morecambe Bay cockle pickers. Sean Baggaley said they also wanted to show that the town's historic with slavery on American cotton plantations. "We're also showing things that relate to modern day slavery, like the story of the Chinese cockle pickers who died in Morecambe Bay in 2004." Oldham's lasting link with slavery is the town's Alexandra Park, which was constructed in an effort to keep local textile workers employed during the Lancashire Cotton Famine (1861-1865). Tens of thousands of mill workers in the North West were left jobless when local mills ran out of raw cotton to process. Oldham councillor Kay Knox said there was an important message on Anti-Slavery Day. "Millions of men, women and children continue to be victims of slavery that deprives them of basic human dignity and freedom," she said. "It is vitally important that we use this day to continue to raise awareness amongst young people and others about the dangers and consequences of slavery, human trafficking and exploitation." Anyone with information about James or Alice Johnson should contact Roger Ivens on 0161 770 4655.



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