Find out about the many Black and Asian seafarers who worked on board British ships from the Tudor period onwards. Meet Black Britons who lived in Georgian London, the skilled Krumen of West Africa, Muslim sailors from Bengal (and other ‘lascars’), and Hongkongers who served in the Royal Navy.Other important groups covered by this talk will include Asian nannies who looked after the children of colonial families (ayahs and amahs), the Church of England’s first Black bishop, a famous Chinese performer (‘Chang Woo Gow’, allegedly 8ft tall, now buried in Bournemouth), and Indian convicts transported to the Andaman Islands.

Dr Aaron Jaffer (Royal Museums Greenwich) will bring their stories to life through striking visual records, highlighting their significant contributions, and broader histories of colonialism and migration. All appear in Dr Jaffer’s new book Black & Asian Seafarers: A Visual History (2026), published this month.

Length: 1hour

Image credit: Sketch of an Indian Ocean seafarer (‘lascar’) on a passenger liner, 1890s © National Maritime Museum (T5140)