Thomas Corker, a 17th Century slave trader was a parishioner at the Grade II* church of King Charles the Martyr, Falmouth. A marble plaque and Latin eulogy to Corker, at present in a prominent position in the church, have been the subject of on-going local and national consultation. On 29 October 2024, we summarized the background to the plaque, and the introduction of a brass plaque (now removed), placed underneath the marble memorial without faculty approval[1]. The following year, churchgoers were faced with a 1.2m diameter “blue plaque” which stated “Thomas Corker 1670 – 1700, slave trader memorialised here 1700-2025“.

The external sign was swiftly removed and the incident reported to the police. An anonymous spokesperson for the community group stated “[w]e installed the blue sign to coincide with the enthronement of the new Bishop of Truro – the Rt Revd David Williams, and to appeal to him to proactively address the harm the Falmouth Slave Trader Memorial continues to cause.” It appears as though this community group was also the instigator of the earlier brass plaque.

On Saturday 18 April 2026, the Falmouth Packet reported that a small group of protesters (and “a significant police presence”) gathered outside King Charles the Martyr Church during the installation of its new parish priest. The service formally welcomed the Rev Dr Adam Dunning to the church and was attended by a large congregation. Despite the demonstration outside, proceedings inside went ahead without disruption.

The following joint statement issued by the Diocese and the Church summarized the earlier Heritage Impact Report, Monument of Thomas Corker[2], and said:

“The Diocese of Truro and King Charles the Martyr Church continue to work with Black  Voices Cornwall and local historians; and have sought funding from the Racial Justice unit of the national church to progress the agreed work on the Thomas Corker Memorial as previously shared.

Whilst the PCC voted to remove the monument, there continues to be no viable storage facility. Therefore, an interim plan was developed. This involves contextualising the monument in situ.  A content warning will be displayed, along with opportunities for visitors and those unable to enter the building to provide feedback.  Opportunities for education and training are being sought during this period.

 “The new Rector of Falmouth, The Reverend Dr Adam Dunning, is fully committed to working with all parties concerned about the future of the Corker memorial. He will be seeking an outcome that is equitable, appropriate and healing for all of us who feel strongly about the injustice, evil and sin which the memorial represents.”

There is nothing that can repay the damage the transatlantic slave trade caused, and we have to acknowledge that. We now need to find a different way to tell the truth about the past and pay attention to injustice in the present.

[1] At the time of writing, the brass plaque features in a photograph on the TripAdvisor Falmouth page, which suggests that the Slave Trader Memorial is the second most popular historical site in Falmouth, Pendennis Castle being the first.

[2] The 39-page report, (March 2025), was written by Dr Alice Kinghorn whose specialist area of research is the Church of England’s involvement in African chattel enslavement. The four Chapters cover: Motivation for Change and Summary of Actions so Far; The Church in its Environment; Thomas Corker and the Corker Memorial in Context; Current Proposal – Relocating the Memorial in an Educational Setting. 

It makes the suggestion that the memorial could be relocated to the rear of the church in an exhibition and educational space, using a freestanding display case to offer longevity to the decision (and to eliminate the need to remove multiple monuments). This report, in conjunction with the Monument Condition Assessment, illustrates that the Corker memorial is ‘truncated’, and has likely been moved within the church before, and thus any negative heritage impact on KCM is less significant.

With thanks to Rebecca Evans, Diocese of Truro, for the provision of material.