‘ Hero’ by Catherine Johnson Oxford University Press
(ISBN: 0192718533)
Used in conjunction with the picture ‘Derby Day’ by William Powell Frith

‘Hero’ is set in 19th century London, in the period between the abolition of slavery in Britain and its abolition in overseas colonies. The eponymous heroine is the daughter of a black West Indian father and white Jewish mother, who died when Hero was born. Her father, John Da Costa, is a great bare-knuckle boxer. John and his father-in-law, Reuben, run the Feathers, a Soho public house. Following the death of Reuben, Hero’s father is thrown in jail, pending deportation to a slave plantation in Barbados. His arrest was engineered by Hero’s uncle, Mr. Silver, who wants the Feathers and Reuben’s savings. The Silvers despise Hero for being half black and treat her cruelly, chaining her in leg-irons.

Daniel, the Silvers’ son, rescues Hero and together they set about tracing the whereabouts of her father. With the help of Gabriel Cuffay, a free-black lawyer, John Da Costa is finally freed and the Feathers restored to them.

Catherine Johnson explains why she wrote the book:

‘Although at school I managed to come bottom in the history exam I have become very interested in the history of black and mixed race people in Britain. I grew up, like a lot of other people, imagining that black immigration began with the Windrush in 1948. It was a revelation to find out about black Romans, about the black house slaves who were in nearly every big house in every corner of the British Isles. I began to wonder what happened to all those people... Hero’s dad was based on an actual early 19th century fighter, Bill Richmond, the son of slaves and first black boxer to gain international recognition. Basically I wanted to write a book set in the past, in a past that included people like me. Because we’ve always been here, for as long as history.’

Catherine Johnson chose ‘Derby Day’ (1858) by William Powell Frith for her YCC session. Download the picture from this site.

In 1856 Frith went to the Epsom Derby for the first time. He had no interest in racing but found in the crowds a panoramic ‘slice of life’, full of incident and colour. He toured the side-shows, thimble-riggers and three-card tricksters. It took him over a year to complete the painting, assisted by intensive research and photographs of scenes at the Epsom races. He used a wide range of models, including an acrobat, a ‘bevy of pretty girls’, a jockey and his own large family.

Catherine Johnson explains why she chose ‘Derby Day’:

‘London goes on holiday for day! It’s a Londoner’s day out. It doesn’t matter about races because all human life is here. It’s the only picture in this room with black people in it. It’s also such a rich, narrative painting. Starting a story with characters is a good way to get into a story. You can get close and get to know a character. There are so many things happening in this picture. There’s so much history. Kids have instant responses to all the action in this painting. It’s a bit like a soap opera. I love hearing what the kids have to say.’

Her thoughts echo those of Frith’s patron, Jacob Bell. When the picture was shown at the Royal Academy, he observed:

‘[there were] people three of four deep... those in front with their faces within three or four inches of the canvas. The nature of the picture requires a close inspection to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it...’

A series of worksheets for further exploration of the book and the paintings can be found on this site.