Jacques Francis' Testimony (copy)
*This date in 1527 is celebrated as the birth date of Jacques Francis, A Black British slave salvage diver.
Francis was from Arguin Island, Mauritania. However, records at the time described him as a "Guinea diver" and exceptionally talented. He had been working for Piero Corsi on a 1546 salvage attempt of the Mary Rose, following a previous unsuccessful attempt to raise the ship to salvage King Henry VIII's guns. Francis and his team were also salvaging valuables from the Sancta Maria and Sanctus Edwardus merchant ships, which sank off the coast of Southampton.
During this expedition, Domenico Erizzo accused Corsi of theft. As the expedition's lead diver, Francis was an important witness in the theft. However, his race and status led to controversy over whether he could be a witness. In February 1548, Francis became the first known African to speak in an English court and the first to give evidence in 1548 before a court.
His evidence was discredited, but he was paid wages, so he was not a slave, and "slaves were not allowed to give evidence in court." Despite being the first African person recorded in court, his legal recognition during the trial did not set a precedent for the legal status of Blacks at the time. Jacques Francis died in February 1548.
