PREVIEW

A bronze statue created by artist Keith Barrett of a women who escaped slavery called Mary Ann Macham has been installed in North Shields. She was raised by an aunty, but following her death, Mary Ann was sold by a relative and aged 12, was sent to a farm with other enslaved people. After 17 years she took a chance one night and managed to escape from the farm leaving a life of violent abuse on a Virginia plantation. She managed to stowaway aboard a ship which was going to Europe. Once she arrived in North Shields on Christmas Day 1831, she was welcomed by a Quaker family called Spence who were avid campaigners to abolish slavery. Mary Ann went on to marry James Blyth and lived into her 90s, supported by the local community.