An terrible case, and yet one that ultimately moved humanity forward.
In order to claim on the insurance, the captain and crew of the slave ship Zong threw 133 living slaves into the sea to drown.
Of course, there was no way they were going to get away with it. The ship's owners had to pay for it.
In the Civil courts. Although killing a slave was no crime, the courts eventually held that the insurance claim was invalid as he had not taken proper care of his cargo.
We're not going to be having any jolly ceremonies this morning. Just having a sit and a think and a weep for 133 lost people. And at what human beings can do, in cold blood, for money, when they put their minds to it.
Though we'll light just the one tea light for Granville Sharp - Bible scholar, musician and abolitionist. And the man who managed to establish that in England, at least, there were no slaves - the rest of the Empire would have to wait, and the fight goes on today.
