The extraordinary life of a freed black slave who went on to become a respected gentleman before settling in Thames Ditton has come to the fore as part of a celebration of black culture.
One of Elmbridge's most famous historical citizens, he is virtually unheard of in the borough. According to research at Kingston Museum, Cesar Picton was a native of Senegal who was brought from Africa when he was six years old. As was customary, the young boy was given to Sir John Phillips of Kingston by a friend. Probably born a Muslim, Cesar was baptised into the Christian faith on December 6, 1761, and christened Cesar. His original Senegalese name is unknown.
It was fashionable to have richly dressed black retainers and Cesar was dressed in the servant's attire of the time, including a velvet turban, which cost IOs6d (52 1I2p). Normally, black boys became a servant to the male member of the family, but the Phillips family became so attached to him that he became Lady Phillips' protege.
History suggests that he mixed on virtually equal terms with the family, which had a long tradition of supporting education and Christian missionary work. Patronising racist attitudes were prevalent. In 1788, in a letter to a friend, Horace Walpole noted: "I was in Kingston with the sisters of Lord Milford; they have a favourite black, who has been with them for many years and is remarkably sensible".
Sir John and Lady Phillips had one son and three daughters and also owned Picton House in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. When he died in 1764, his son inherited the title of Lord Milford. Two years later, Lady Phillips made her will leaving £100 to Cesar, a very substantial sum. Their son sold Norbiton Place and their daughters went to live in Hampton Court.
Cesar, now on his own, spent his legacy on renting a coach house and stables in High Street (then "West by Thames"), Kingston, known today as Picton House. Giving himself the surname Picton, (after Picton Castle), he set up as a coal merchant. By 1795, at 40, he was a much-respected businessman, having made enough money to buy Picton House in Kingston and other property, including a wharf and a malt house.
In 1801, one of the Phillips sisters died and left Cesar a further £100, although he was by now wealthy on his own efforts. Six years later, Cesar let the Kingston properties and went to live in Tolworth, moving again in 1816 to Thames Ditton, where he bought a property for the sum of £4,000. This house was also known as Picton House.
Picton lived there for 20 years and his will tells us more about his lifestyle. He had a horse and chaise, two watches with gold chains and seals, gold rings and shirt pins. There was a tortoiseshell tea chest and silver spoons and tongs. He had paintings of his friends and his dogs and. intriguingly, a portrait of himself. He left this to a friend, Thomas Bushell, but its present whereabouts is unknown.
When Cesar was living in Thames Ditton, the remaining Phillips daughters died and left him £150 plus £30 year for life. Cesar died in 1836, aged 81. He was buried in All Saints' Church, Kingston. In his will, he asked to be "plain but decently buried within the Parish Church, Kingston" and that the mourning rings, costing no more than £5 each, be distributed to 16 named friends.
Nevertheless, it was to be a remarkable occasion, as Cesar was then a man of immense bulk and had to be brought to the church on a four-wheel trolley and lowered into the vault down an inclined plane of planks on rollers. His last resting place is marked by a floor plaque in the south aisle inscribed "CP 1836". His Thames Ditton home stands today in the High Street.
David Lindsell
Photo courtesy of the Surrey Advertiser
This article first appeared in the Esher News and Mail