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One wrote online: “Such good news.”
Another posted: “We must protect our history.”
Students had demanded the four statues, which also include 17th-century admiral Robert Blake and an anonymous navel figure, were torn down during a protest in 2019, My London reports.
They said the individuals’ links to the slave trade meant they should be removed during a 137-day sit-in.
The protest around the time protesters tore down the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol and threw it into the harbour.
Although Boris Johnson slammed the behaviour as “thuggery” at the time, the protesters were cleared of criminal damage this year.
But nevertheless, following the survey, Goldsmiths’ has now agreed the statues will remain at the town hall.
Instead the university, whose alumni includes Princess Beatrice and artist Damien Hirst, will install panels by the statues explaining the history of the individuals represented and their links to the slave trade. Local schools will also be handed information packs explaining their history.
Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to travel across the globe, but he was also one of Britain’s first slave traders. Drake took part in voyages to West Africa to capture men and women as early as 1560.
Lord Nelson, Britain’s most famous naval hero, won a series of victories at sea against the French during the Napoleonic wars. But he also defended the slave trade while others like Hull-born politician William Wilberforce were arguing against it.
Professor Frances Corner, warden of Goldsmiths said: “I would like to thank everyone who took the time to submit their views as part of our public consultation. We will continue to consult with local people as we develop our plans to address the complex legacy of the area’s maritime heritage embodied in the Deptford Town Hall statues.”
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