Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby accuses the Church of England of taking too long to remove memorials linked to slave traders

• Justin Welby has criticised delay in removing memorials linked to the slave trade
• Memorial is of Tobias Rustat and located in Cambridge University college chapel 
• Archbishop of Canterbury asked why it’s ‘such agony’ to remove marble plaque 
• Rustat invested in Royal African Company and was college’s largest benefactor

The Church of England is taking too long to remove memorials linked to the slave trade, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.

Justin Welby criticised the delay in taking down a plaque at a Cambridge University college chapel.

An ecclesiastical court is considering Jesus College’s proposal to remove the memorial to Tobias Rustat, who invested in the Royal African Company and was one of the college’s largest benefactors. 

TArchbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby (pictured) criticised the delay in taking down a plaque at a Cambridge University college chapel.

An ecclesiastical court is considering Jesus College’s proposal to remove the memorial (pictured) to Tobias Rustat, who invested in the Royal African Company and was one of the college’s largest benefactors

Jesus College at the University of Cambridge, (pictured) – where the memorial to Tobias Rustat is located

The move has been opposed by some former students.

At the Church’s general synod, the archbishop asked why it was ‘such agony’ to remove the marble plaque, when the college wanted only to move it to another location where it can be interpreted and explained.

He added that ‘we need to change our practices’ – making reference to Sonita Alleyne, a black woman and master of Jesus College who has to look at the memorial ‘every time she sits in her stall’. 

The archbishop made the remarks after Labour peer Lord Boateng drew applause by saying the Church’s lack of action on race issues was ‘chilling’.

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