London suburb Tulse Hill could be renamed due to its slavery links

The south London suburb was named after Sir Henry Tulse, whose wealth primarily derived from slavery

Lambeth Council asked residents their views on their area and its street names (Google Street View)

The London suburb of Tulse Hill could be renamed due to its historical links with slavery.

The area in south-west London was named after 17th century merchant and London Mayor, Sir Henry Tulse, whose wealth largely derived from the slave trade.

The potential change comes after Lambeth council asked residents for their views on the area and its street names as part of a community listening exercise.

Now, residents have been given the options of renaming the area, displays of relevant information, an education programme in local state schools or no changes made.

Tulse and his family were a part of the Royal African Company which traded in enslaved people until 1731.

Streets in the area, such as Vassal Road named after slave owner Henry Richard Vassall-Fox, and Thurlow Road, named after Edward Thurlow who opposed the abolition of the slave trade, are also being considered for changes.

A Lambeth Council spokesperson told The Telegraph the local authority is working to assess local areas and their possible links to “to see if there are local locations with possible links to the trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonialism”.

“Lambeth is a richly diverse borough,” the spokesperson continued, “and the council has been a pioneer since the ‘80s for naming new places and new buildings to reflect local people."

“This latest piece of work required no extra spending and has taken Government legislation on the issue fully into account.”

London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, previously pledged £25,000 to decolonise areas of London and backed the £1 million ‘Untold Stories’ funding campaign, aiming to provide grants to make inclusive changes to public spaces in the city.

The Untold Stories fund is part of the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, which was established after the 2020 protests following the murder of unarmed black man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minnesota, US.

Protests were held across the world, including in London, following George Floyd’s death (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Khan said: "London’s diversity is its greatest strength but for far too long our capital’s statues, street names and buildings have only shown a limited perspective on our city’s complex history.

"I’m determined to do everything I can to ensure our public realm presents a more complete picture of everyone who has made London the incredible city it is today."