Sancho, Charles Ignatius
Photo obtained from the Museum of Colour.
Charles Ignatius Sancho (1729–1780), a multifaceted figure, is celebrated as a composer, writer, shopkeeper, and abolitionist. Born on a slave ship en route from Guinea to Cartagena, Sancho's early life was marked by displacement and hardship. Orphaned shortly after arrival in the Spanish West Indies, he was taken to England, where he was enslaved by three sisters in Greenwich, London. Despite their opposition to his education, Sancho's intellectual potential was recognized by John Montagu, a family friend, who provided him with books and mentorship.
Following Montagu's death in 1749, Sancho escaped enslavement and was employed by Montagu’s widow as a butler. During this period, he avidly read from their library. His brief foray into acting included performances in Shakespeare's "Othello" and Aphra Behn's "Oroonoko," though financial instability led him back to domestic service at the Montagu household for two decades.
Sancho married Anne Osborne in 1758, and they had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood. In the context of 18th-century Britain, where the Black population reached at least 20,000 by 1780, Sancho emerged as a notable figure. He composed music, including songs, minuets, and country dances, self-publishing his works between 1767 and 1779, proudly labeling them "Composed by an African."
An advocate for abolition, Sancho corresponded with Laurence Sterne, urging the writer to address the horrors of slavery in his works. In 1773, Sancho left the Montagu residence, opened a grocery store in Westminster, and became the first known African-descended person to vote in England. His death in 1780 marked another first, with an obituary in an English newspaper. His published letters posthumously contributed to the abolitionist cause, which eventually saw success with the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act.
Solo Work(s) for Classical Guitar
This recording, which originated as part of the inaugural Guitar Foundation of America Foundation Mentorship Program in 2021, features Felix Benki performing "Three Pieces" by C. I. Sancho.
Menuets for Violin, Mandolin, German-Flute, and Harpsichord
Menuet 7. Arranged by Aitua Igleleke. Contact composer for score.
This is a video of Aitua Igeleke performing her arrangement of Menuet 7 by Ignatius Sancho.
Menuet 10. Arranged by Aitua Igleleke. Contact composer for score.
This is a video of Aitua Igeleke performing her arrangement of Menuet 10 by I. Sancho.
Menuet 13. Arranged by Aitua Igleleke. Contact composer for score.
This is a video of Aituta Igeleke performing her arrangement of Menuet 13 but I. Sancho.
