Birmingham campaigner discovers he is named after revolutionary UK slave 'who fought for freedom'

A Balsall Heath man believes his family has a connection to a historic 18th-century freedom fighter, and says he takes "honour" in their shared name. Janade Knight is one of thousands of people of African Caribbean descent living in Britain who historians believe may be named after the revolutionary slave Joseph Knight.

Joseph Knight is considered by historians to have been instrumental in the eventual abolition of slavery in the UK during the 19th century. He was captured during the height of the transatlantic slave trade and sold to wealthy Scottish plantation owner John Wedderburn in Jamaica, where he was forced to work as a domestic servant.

After being brought to the UK, Knight- whose original name is unknown - fled Wedderburn after demanding to be paid a wage for his work. He successfully argued that he should be granted freedom to provide for his wife and child, asserting that slavery was "not recognised" under Scots law, establishing new legal protections for runaway slaves.

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Janade Knight, who is originally from Jamaica but now lives in Balsall Heath, believes he is descended from this historic freedom fighter. He said: "I know the Knight name is not necessarily my original surname, but it became our name for one reason or another. Either it was a slave master who gave it to us as slaves of the Knight plantation, or we took it in honour of the slave master, oddly enough. By name, there’s some sort of connection.

"It struck a chord with me because of his last name being Knight and my name being Knight, and both of us having Jamaican heritage. In trying to understand a little bit about my name, I went down this rabbit hole where I thought perhaps he could be a distant relative.

"He wasn’t supposed to be incarcerated under the law of Scotland at that time, so he fought and, after two attempts, he eventually, under Scottish law, won his freedom. I take honour in that because it shows struggle and triumph. I take on board their strength, their resilience, their patience, and their perseverance. It’s important for people of colour, and black people in particular, to know their roots, their history, and where they came from."

Janade, a humanitarian worker for charity ISRA-UK, shared his story on International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, a United Nations awareness day held annually on December 2. The day provides an opportunity for governments, organisations, and individuals worldwide to remember the legacy of slavery and reflect on the estimated 50 million people currently trapped in modern slavery—from human trafficking to forced labour, sexual exploitation, and forced marriage.