The Church Commissioners for England has learned from research it commissioned that Queen Anne’s Bounty, a predecessor fund of the Church Commissioners’ endowment, had links with African chattel enslavement.
The Church Commissioners is deeply sorry for its predecessor fund’s links with African chattel enslavement.
The Church Commissioners wants to learn about its past better to understand its present and continue to support the Church of England’s work and mission in the future as best it can. In 2019, the Church Commissioners decided to conduct research into the source of the endowment fund to gain an improved understanding of its history. We worked with forensic accountants and academics to analyse early ledgers and other original documents from Queen Anne’s Bounty. This phase of the research is now complete, and the report is publicly available. The press release can be found here.
What we know
Learn about our research into Queen Anne's Bounty and its historic links to enslavement.
Find out moreOur response
Learn how the Church Commissioners are continuing to respond to the findings.
Find out more
Our hope is that the work we are doing - to repair, to heal, and to pursue justice - demonstrates how Christian faith can bring about real change in the world. As we pursue an ongoing, living process of listening, learning and acting, we also hope it encourages others to reflect on their own histories and responsibilities.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell