Black and white descendants of a family that owned a plantation in South Carolina travelled to London, Ont., to learn more about their ancestor — a man whose legacy casts a long shadow.
Dr. James Rufus Bratton, a plantation owner, Confederate army doctor and member of the Ku Klux Klan, fled to London after the 1871 lynching of Jim Williams, a Black militia leader.
For the descendants, visiting the southwestern Ontario city was a chance to reckon with that difficult past, together.
“I am not the least bit ashamed of my enslaved ancestors because I know where they started and I know where they ended,” said Lisa Bratton, a history professor at Tuskegee University in Alabama and a fifth-generation descendant of enslaved people at Brattonsville.
“To have this additional part of my family involved in my life to me is just empowering, and it honestly made me a better human.”
A shared history
The group, called the Descendants of Brattonsville, includes both the descendants of enslaved people and of the enslavers who lived on the plantation.
They first connected online during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Lisa reached out to white members of the Bratton family.
“I am forever grateful that she did that,” said Bratton Holmes, one of the white descendants who travelled to London. “Not only has it been enlightening for me to get to know her and all the other descendants, but my children have gotten the opportunity to watch this process.”
Since then, the descendants have worked to understand their shared history through reunions and research trips, including the weekend visit to London.
The group toured several sites associated with James Rufus Bratton, including the boarding house where he resided and the location of his arrest in 1872. He was later extradited to the United States to face charges related to the lynching.
They also visited several Black heritage sites in London, including Fanshawe Pioneer Village and Woodland Cemetery, which are home to stories of early Black settlers in the region.
“There are millions upon millions of people who have a similar family history to ours,” said Holmes. “I think it’s worthwhile for somebody, anybody, to try to learn from each other and get to know each other.”
The group also teamed up with Western University’s Film Studies Program, including five students who filmed their tour, which will become part of a larger film, The Descendants of Brattonsville: The Documentary.
Not forgetting the past
In addition to retracing James Rufus Bratton’s footsteps, the group visited Museum London to view a new exhibit, called Black Lives Lived Here. The project highlights the history of London’s early Black community and features stories such as that of Josiah Henson, a freedom seeker who helped establish the Dawn Settlement near Dresden, and Barry Howson, the first Black man to play on a Canadian national basketball team.
The trip concluded with a public panel discussion about London’s complex racial history, its modern-day implications and how communities can work toward reconciliation.
“What we hope for is that each generation can improve the world slightly from where they found it,” said Holmes. “And this is an opportunity to move things in that direction.”
Afternoon Drive6:03Descendants of an American plantation owner come to London to explore shared history
Both Black and white descendants of James Rufus Bratton, a plantation owner and ku klux klan member from South Carolina, are in London to uncover a portion of their shared family history. Host Matt Allen met with members of the group, named the descendants of Brattonsville, including Lisa Bratton and and Bratton Holmes, to hear the story.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
