African Deeds Exhibition
Philip Brem-Wilson and 'Christine The German,' Rivoli Ballroom, London, circa 1960
In 2021, descendant of the Brem-Wilson Family, Mandy Parker-Sharp donated the family collection to Black Cultural Archives. This family collection includes early diaries, cassette interviews, videos, and hundreds of photos and documents, charting three generations of history. As well as the captivating story of Mandy's family, the commitment of the family to document their story is an inspiration and a reminder to all of the importance of archiving our stories and our histories.
African Deeds, the title selected by Mandy, draws inspiration from the land title deeds her great-grandfather, Thomas Brem-Wilson. These historic documents, brought from the Gold Coast, West Africa to Britain in 1901, represent a three-generational story that comes full circle when Mandy's mother, Nina Brem-Wilson, uses them in the 1980s to trace the family's African homeland.
The title, African Deeds, symbolises the extraordinary and sometimes controversial lives of Mandy's ancestors. Pioneering Pentecostalist Thomas Brem-Wilson, known as the "Black Pastor of Peckham," paved the way for future generations. His son, Philip, popularised Bingo in Southeast London in the 1950s, significantly influencing the gaming boom. The third generation saw Nina embarking on a spirited journey to Ghana, where she discovered gold, marking a phenomenal expedition.
After Nina's passing in 2021, Mandy embraced her mother's legacy by donating the entire family archive to the Black Cultural Archives. Mandy's own research in Ghana’s Public Records unearthed an unexpected find: Thomas’s numerous 1890s African land title deeds.
African Deeds chronicles a remarkable pre-Windrush migration collection and embodies this rich three-generational history, celebrating the resilience and achievements of the Brem-Wilson family.
Now it’s your chance to come and experience the amazing African Deeds, pop up exhibition, centred around the Brem-Wilson family collection.