Michael D.Heath-Caldwell M.Arch.

2017 - 2018 - 2019

JJ climbs Mt.Ngaurahoe, North Island, New Zealand. Feb 2018

D.A.W. at Bracken Ridge, Brisbane

Ella and Oscar goes to another party, Australia 2018

MHC, Pete and Casey at Chris's birthday party. July 2018

JJ & Sue in Hampshire 

Squadron - Ending the African Slave Trade

by John Broich (2017)

Despite the British being eearly abolitionists, a significant slave trade remained up the east coast of Africa through the mid-1800s, even after the Civil War ended it in the United States. Further undermining the British Empire was the fact that many of the vessels involved in the trade were themselves British ships.

The Royal Navy's response was to dispatch a squadron to patrol Africa's coast. Following what began as a simple policing action, this is the story of four Royal Naval officers who witnessed how rampant the slave trade remained and made it their personal mission to end it. When the disruption in trade ships started to step on toes within the wealthy merchant class, the campaign was cancelled. However, in the end a coalition of naval officres and abolitionists forced the British government's hand into eradicating the slave trade entirely.

Squadron grew from John Broich's passion to hunt down firsthand accounts of this untold story. Through research from archives throughout the UK, Broich tells a tale of defiance in the face of political corruption, while delivering thrills in the tradition of high seas heroism. If it weren't a true story, Squadron would be right at home alongside Patrick O'Brian's 'Master and Commander' series. 

Leopold Heath was the Commodore of the Squadron, for which effort he was demoted back to Captain, quietly covered up in the family histories but which was a complete shock to them at the time as per Lady Mary Heath's diaries. This spurred Sir Leopold to bang a lot of heads toegether when he got back to London. Having Queen Victoria and a lot of the establishment on side was usuful as well.