Benedict Cumberbatch, one of the most popular actors of today, came to the fore with the steps taken because of his family’s past. The island nation of Barbados, located in the Caribbean, will seek compensation from the actor and his family for the British actor’s ancestors engaged in slavery.
Cumberbatch’s grandfather seven generations ago had bought the Cleland farm in the north of the island of Barbados in 1728. The farm housed a total of 250 slaves until slavery was outlawed. Moreover, Cumberbatch’s great-grandparents also managed to make a fortune with this farm.
Barbados pursued all families with a history of slavery:
The government of Barbados went after all the families that were involved in the slave trade and owned slaves in the past. One of these families was Cumberbatch and his family. David Comissiong, Barbados’s ambassador to the Caribbean community, stated that they will follow the Cumberbatch family as well:
“This is in the early stages. We just have begun. Most of the history is really coming to light only now.”
Interesting details about the background of Benedict Cumberbatch and his family:
Cumberbatch’s ancestors actually had an income again with the abolition of slavery. The British government had paid the family compensation, which is now worth £1 million. This compensation payment lasted until 2015.
It is unknown whether Benedict Cumberbatch benefited from the compensation in question. But the family was already known to shy away from a history of slavery. Because Cumberbatch had previously shared the advice his mother Wanda Ventham gave him.
Anne Ventham had told Cumberbatch not to use her real name in her career, and if she did, she could face obstacles due to her family background.
It should be noted that the full name of Benedict Cumberbatch, the child of Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, is “Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch”.
So, what is Cumberbatch’s view of his family’s past?
Cumberbatch isn’t exactly proud of his family background. The actor had previously starred in the movie ‘Amazing Grace’, about Britain’s ban on the slave trade in 1807.
The future prime minister, played by Cumberbatch in the movie, William Pitt the Young, was struggling to stop the slave trade. Cumberbatch announced that he accepted the role to apologize for his family’s past.
So what kind of punishment can Cumberbatch and his family face?
It is not yet clear what kind of compensation the Cumberbatch family will face due to his background. But we may hear new developments on this subject in the coming months.
The Barbados government also took action against UK Member of Parliament Richard Drax, who had a history with slavery, and demanded that his family return their land in Barbados.
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