As part of the London Luminaries Showcase, historian Nadege Forde-Vidal will share the research that has revealed so much more of James Cumberlidge’s from his roots, the places he frequented and people he knew, his education, interests, home life and family.

Nadege Forde-Vidal will share the research that has revealed so much more of James’s story – from his potential roots, the places he frequented and people he knew, his education, interests, home life and family – to a career spanning over 45 years that began as Lady Dorothy Burlington’s pageboy, and ended in the Royal Court of King George III and Queen Charlotte.

Last year’s highly productive visits to our archives at Chatsworth, combined with in depth online research and a new report by Dr Edward Town, have led to several incredible new discoveries about the life of one particular Black resident of Chiswick House – James Cumberlidge (c1730 – 1783).

General Information

Date and Time

Thursday 6 November, 7 – 8pm

Location

Online livestream

Tickets

Free with optional donation £5. A combined ticket for all events in this series is available.

Discover the full range of talks taking place from March – December here.

About the London Luminaries Showcase

Talented and wealthy luminaries have been attracted to the Thames west of London for centuries, making the area something of a rich person’s playground.

In this series of talks, taking place from March to December 2025, speakers from eight of partner properties will be shining a light on a topic of their choice. They will be showcasing current exhibitions, fascinating stories about items in their collections or about the people who owned them. Expect to be both enlightened and surprised by the rich heritage waiting to be explored in this special area of Greater London.

About the speaker

Nadege Forde-Vidal has been working at Chiswick House and Gardens in a variety of capacities since 2019. Her academic knowledge spans over 6000 years of global history from Dynastic Egypt to the British Empire. She currently leads the research for the Black Chiswick through History project and also delivers culturally inclusive local history workshops to London based community groups and secondary schools through the Sankofa London Schools Project.