Ignatius Sanchos

Black History Month:

 Ignatius Sancho


Quick Fact File:


Born: 1729 - Atlantic Ocean en route for the West Indies from West Africa

Death: 14 December 1780, London, England

Occupation: Writer, Composer, Shopkeeper

Gender: Male

Literary Period: Restoration, 18th Century

Genre: Letters


Sancho was born on a slave ship on its way to the Spanish West Indies. He grew up an orphan as his mother died when he was an infant and his father chose to commit suicide rather than live a life in enslavement. He was taken to London at the age of two where he became a slave for three sisters. His education was encouraged by John Montagu (the 2nd Duke of Montagu) who gave him books to read; however following Montagu's death, Sancho ran away and persuaded his wife to employ him. 


Sancho’s Business and Music:


Sancho married Annie Osborne in 1758 and together they opened a grocery store in Westminster. As a financially independent male householder, Sancho was able to vote and did so twice in his life. He was the first person of African descent to vote in a British General Election. He is also the first person of African descent to have an obituary published in British newspapers.


He took advantage of the libraries at the Montagu House. Sancho was particularly productive as a composer of music and published four collections of compositions and a treatise entitled A Theory of Music. Sancho composed his collection of Minuets, Cotillons & Country Dances. He was the first composer of African descent to publish music in the European tradition.


Minuets, Cotillons & Country Dances:


He gained his extensive knowledge of British literature and music whilst employed at the Montagu household. His music was most likely performed at the Montagus’ private parties and at gatherings of black servants. Sancho paid for Minuets, Cotillons & Country Dances to be printed around 1767, anonymously - he did state on the title that it was ‘Composed by an African’ but also that he had noble English connections.


Sancho’s 24 dance tunes use the musical styles most fashionable in polite Georgian society. 

  • Minuet → Triple time, most important couple dance of the 18th Century

  • Cotillons → French dances with varying figurations

  • Country Dances → Performed in line-dance formation

Sancho offered step-by-step dance instructions alongside the score. In ‘Les Contes des Fees’, the gentlemen are instructed to ‘turn his partner, balance’ and perform a ‘Rigadoon Step’ (a tricky hopping manoeuvre.


Here are links to where you can listen to some of his work:

1) https://youtu.be/upPtEZmVy8I

2) https://youtu.be/9VUJY688nd8

3) https://youtu.be/UPs3yBYYM7g

4) https://youtu.be/4cNE8prdcJA

5) https://youtu.be/UECtZxrOuGU

6) https://youtu.be/LxwaB3awofU


And here is a small video explaining more about Sancho:

https://youtu.be/w1xBo37EBO4

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