Photo of James Rufus Bratton. (Source: Western University Archives and Special Collections)
Eight Americans are in London this week to confront a painful family history that is tied to the city.
They are the Descendants of Brattonsville, a group of Black and white relatives linked to a plantation in South Carolina. The group is exploring the Canadian life of James Rufus Bratton. He was a Confederate army surgeon and Ku Klux Klan leader who fled to London in 1872. This was to escape prosecution for lynching a Black militia leader.
With support from the London and Middlesex Historical Society and the London Black Heritage Council, the group will tour sites including the Fanshawe Pioneer Village, Museum London, and Woodland Cemetery. They’re also documenting their visit with help from Western University’s film studies program.
A public panel on Saturday, Oct. 4, will feature Dr. Lisa Bratton, a descendant and professor at Tuskegee University.
Organizers say the visit is a chance for reconciliation, as well as an opportunity for London to examine its often-overlooked ties to former Confederates.
