Mary Ann Matcham Statue

Welcoming in the waves, high up on the headland at North Shields stands the newly unveiled Mary Ann Macham statue.

Her neatly knotted hair, open chest and loose, light fingers signify her sheer joy at being free. She is shown here as a figurehead on the prow of a ship, clothes billowing in the wind, almost as if she is embracing the space before her.

Her positioning is well thought through and not incidental, for on Christmas Day 1831, Mary Ann arrived in North Shields after months at sea, having fled her oppressors in Virginia.

Her mother was a slave. Her father was the son of the plantation owner. Such a relationship was much shunned in those times, and at the age of 15 months, Mary Ann was taken from the arms of her mother and given to her father's sister, who cared for her until her death.

Mary Ann was sold at the age of 12 in a public auction to settle a familial debt. She lived a life of slavery and was sent to a farm where she lived for almost all of her teens and twenties. Her own words describe her, stating:

Later accounts, recorded by the Spence family, disclose that Mary Ann was whipped with cowhides and that she had marks on her body that she would carry to her grave. She was brutally treated and tortured. She would be locked up for days at a time and for such infinitesimal crimes as helping a fellow slave who had dropped a stitch in her knitting.

One night, she fled the locked room where she was imprisoned and escaped to find a better life. Running scared for several weeks and eating only what she could find in the wild, she eventually was stowed away on a ship bound for England, hidden under barrels and timber.

Her memories were recorded and shared with a church magazine in the 1950's. Mary Ann remembered from her hideaway on the ship, hearing the captain, who was feet away, reading aloud a notice about the reward for her safe capture.

I can't begin to think about how much she so desperately needed to be free, to endure such harsh conditions and to go to such lengths to escape them.

She hid on the boat for ten days before it set sail and then remained in hiding for three months aboard the ship as it sailed from America to the Netherlands. Imagine the cramped, unsanitary conditions and lack of food during that time.

Little did she know it would lead her to North Shields and into the arms of philanthropic Quakers who would lead her to a life of safety.

With care and support offered by the Spence family, who managed a rope-making business, John Spence and his daughters provided work and refuge, and encouraged Mary Ann to settle among the people of North Shields, where she made it her home for over 60 years.

She met and fell in love with James Blyth, who worked for the Spence family, and they settled in Dockwray Square and eventually moved to Howard Street, just around the corner from this statue.

Look at her face. It doesn't hold her trauma close. She looks celebratory, lifted and free.

Clasped in her left hand is a small reminder of what she fled; the chains which enslaved her, but which she was bold and brave enough to break away from.

She looks almost as if she is embracing the wider world, with open arms and acceptance. She said of the Spence family who befriended her:

The joy on her face is evident. Imagine moving to a community where you were accepted, encouraged, and were able to build a new life and, most importantly, be free and safe.

The North East has a strong and bold history of supporting the abolition of slavery.

- From philanthropic families like The Richardsons who were Quakers who encouraged people to boycott goods grown by slaves.

- James Losh, a lawyer and friend of Earl Grey who was instrumental in the movement

- The Pease family from Darlington who were Quaker activists

- Frederick Douglass who visited the Richardson Family in 1846 where they campaigned and raised £150 to secure his freedom

- Earl Grey, born in Northumberland, who lived at Falloden Hall, who in 1833 steered the abolition act through parliament as the Prime Minister. Religious and social movements like the Quakers and Unitarians organised on a large scale to support the abolition of slavery in the North East. A bunch of strident Tynesiders shaping history to care.

Mary Ann died in Benwell whilst visiting her husband's relations in 1893. She was 91 and had lived sixty years of freedom in North Shields, her free home.

Just before Covid, Steph Towns, a local school teacher, discovered a book in a charity shop, which featured a story about Mary Ann Macham. Intrigued by this story of local significance, Steph, who was researching Britain's role in slavery, posted about it on social media and the story was picked up by Nina Brown from North Shields Old Low Light Heritage Centre.

Volunteers at The Old Low Lights developed a series of short films and exhibitions, one of which featured the remarkable tale of Mary Ann Macham, further raising the profile and significance of this tenacious adopted Tynesider.

People had taken her story to their hearts, and after having given her story wings at the Old Low Light, in their award-winning exhibition, over £800 was raised to fund a headstone for her unmarked grave in Preston Cemetery in 2020, where she lies buried next to her husband.

Mary Ann Macham seen here in the only surviving picture of her, courtesy of I Love North Shields.

In 2025, this statue by North Shields artist Keith Barrett was unveiled at the top of The Riverside Embankment. She's looking out to the sea that transported her here, a view that will have been familiar to her during her life in North Shields. The statue was created as a memorial to this strong human as part of the North Shields 800 celebrations and helps to mark the town's rich and diverse history.

Images courtesy of the artist, Keith Barrett

Initially carved in wood, the statue is made of bronze. Give it a tap if you're passing. It's hollow and has a hearty ring when you knock it!

This is a significant and important reminder of the role of the North East in the abolition of slavery, and reminds me that we are a welcoming and tolerant community, supporting others who have chosen to feel safe in our region and have helped to shape our shared history.