Sir John Hawkins Square
50°22′09″N 4°08′20″W / 50.369109°N 4.1389223°W
| Namesake | Sir John Hawkins |
|---|---|
| Location | Plymouth, England |
| Postal code | PL1 |
| Coordinates | 50.369109, -4.1389223 |
Sir John Hawkins Square is a public square located in Plymouth, England.[1] The square is dedicated to naval commander Sir John Hawkins.[2]
Location
The Square lies between the City Centre and the Barbican, between Higher Lane and Palace Street, with Lower Lane running directly into it, and is overshadowed by Plymouth Magistrates' Court.
Within close proximity of the Square there are two pubs: The Swan and Kitty O'Hanlons; as well as The Merchant's House Museum, a Restaurant, the dBs Music College, and a Plymouth College of Art studio. There are no residential properties on the Square.[3]
Renaming
The square gained media attention in June 2020 during the George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom due to John Hawkins' connection to the Transatlantic slave trade.[4] Plymouth City Council announced plans to rename the square.[5][6] On 18 June 2020, Plymouth Council proposed that the square be renamed Jack Leslie Square after Jack Leslie, who would have become the first black football player to represent England internationally.[7] The decision became the subject of a legal challenge in August 2020.[8][9] On 4 December 2020, a court rejected the attempt to prevent the change of name.[10]
References
- ^ "Sir John Hawkins Square | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK". www.plymouth.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "Information for Sir John Hawkins Square in Plymouth". www.geopunk.co.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "City Council proposes naming city square after Plymouth Argyle pioneer". Plymouth City Council. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^ "City square named after slave trader to be renamed". BBC News. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ Oldfield, Edward (10 June 2020). "Tory attack on 'knee-jerk reaction' to remove slave trader's name". plymouthherald. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ Oldfield, Edward (9 June 2020). "Sir John Hawkins to be removed from Plymouth square". plymouthherald. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "Plymouth square to be renamed after black footballer Jack Leslie". BBC News. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Plymouth man appeals against slave trader square name change". BBC News. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ Oldfield, Edward (16 November 2020). "Court hears legal challenge to renaming Plymouth square after black footballer Jack Leslie". plymouthherald. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "Court rejects effort to block Plymouth square name change". BBC News. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.