Cumbria and Transatlantic Slavery, 1700-1833

Project Description

This full time, three-year PhD studentship, starting in September 2024, is fully funded by the Economic & Social Sciences Research Council CASE studentship scheme (ESRC NWSSDTP), together with Keele University and Cumbria Archives.

CASE studentships involve a PhD student working in partnership with an organisation to undertake a study which is designed to be relevant to the organisation. This creates an invaluable opportunity for students to undertake PhD research which bridges academic and professional concerns, having a direct impact in a professional context whilst also producing a PhD thesis.

This PhD, entitled ‘Cumbria and Transatlantic Slavery, 1700-1833’, will see a student work alongside Keele University and Cumbria Archives.

The three-year PhD will be jointly supervised by Dr. Kristen Brill (Keele) and Kelda Roe (Cumbria Archives), supported by a wider supervision team including Professor Siobhan Talbott (Keele), Dr. Edmond Smith (Manchester) and Diane Hodgson (Cumbria Archives).

The studentship project

This project will provide the first comprehensive study examining Cumbria’s relationship

to the transatlantic slave trade. It is groundbreaking in not only its geographic scope, but

its methodological use of individual lived experiences to bring together previously discrete

historiographies on Cumbria and the Americas, with a focus on Virginia. This project will be shaped according to the successful candidate’s interests and expertise, but potential research questions to be addressed may include:

·        To what extent did Cumbrian slave traders participate in illegal economic activity after the 1807 British abolition of the slave trade?

·        How did Cumbrian planters manage plantations in the Caribbean and Virginia, both in terms of fiscal responsibility and control of the enslaved population?

·        What were the economic and social motivations for Cumbrian planters setting up their enterprises in Virginia?

·        How did former enslaved persons relocate and contribute to economic networks and social communities in Cumbria?

·        What role did individuals and groups in Cumbria, like the Quakers, play in the transatlantic abolition movement?

In addition, the successful candidate will develop their own original public engagement project with Cumbria Archives to explore how local communities can engage with the history of the slave trade in Cumbria to better understand issues surrounding racial inequality today.

Further information:

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting, interviews, etc. should be directed to Dr. Kristen Brill ([email protected]).

Candidates must have qualifications of a standard Bachelor’s degree at first or upper second class level in a cognate subject, and have or be in the process of completing a suitable Master’s degree.

Candidates will need to demonstrate that they have received rigorous training in Social Sciences research methods evidenced by, for example, the completion of an MRes in Social Sciences.

Applying

To apply, please go to Studentships – Keele University, select “Cumbria and Transatlantic Slavery, 1700-1833” and click on the “Apply online here” button in this studentship. Please quote HUMSS_ESRC2024 your application, and include the following:

· a curriculum vitae (no more than 2 pages);

· a sample of writing (3-5,000 words);

· a letter (one page) outlining their interest in and qualification for the studentship;

· transcripts of undergraduate and Masters qualifications;

· two academic references, which the candidate should request the referee to send.

Please note it is the responsibility of applicants to request references from their referees and ensure that they have been received by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at [email protected] by this deadline. All documents should be submitted in either a MS Word or PDF format.

Closing date: Thursday, July 26 at 4pm

Interviews are expected to take place online on Tuesday, August 6.