By Osita Mbonu
London’s Garden Museum is racing against time to secure a rare 18th-century painting that captures the story of John Ystumllyn—believed to be the earliest known portrait of a Black gardener in British history. The museum has launched a public fundraising campaign with a target of £420,000 ($560,000) to permanently acquire the artwork and ensure this vital piece of Black British heritage remains accessible to the public.
Painted in 1754 by an unknown artist, the portrait shows John Ystumllyn in his late teens, elegantly dressed in a blue suit and waistcoat. The painting has been on loan to the Garden Museum since 2023, and museum officials are eager to display it permanently alongside “Portrait of a Black Gardener”, a 1905 work by Harold Gilman that the institution acquired in 2013.
“The Garden Museum celebrates the heroes and heroines of British gardening,” said museum director Christopher Woodward. “John Ystumllyn should also be one of our heroes, and it would be a privilege to share his story”.
From abduction to horticultural excellence
John Ystumllyn’s life story is both remarkable and tragic. Born around 1736, he was abducted from West Africa (or possibly the West Indies) by slave traders at approximately eight years old and brought to the Ystumllyn estate in Criccieth, North Wales, by the Wynn family. Despite this traumatic beginning, John thrived in his new environment.
The Wynn family trained him in horticulture, and he quickly demonstrated exceptional skill. Historical records indicate he worked “more or less perfectly” as a gardener. He also became fluent in both Welsh and English, and developed craftsmanship abilities that included making wicker baskets, wooden spoons, and small boats.
Love, marriage, family
According to an 1888 biography written by Robert Isaac Jones (Alltud Eifion), based on accounts from Jones’ grandfather who knew John personally, Ystumllyn was described as “handsome” and popular among local women. In 1768, he met Margaret Gruffydd, a maid also working at the Ystumllyn estate. The couple fled together to Dolgellau to marry—likely the first registered mixed-race marriage in Wales.
Their union produced seven children, five of whom survived to adulthood. Some of their descendants still reside in the North Wales region today.
A life of service and recognition
After losing their positions at Ystumllyn due to their unauthorized departure, John and Margaret worked as land stewards at nearby Ynysgain Fawr farm. Eventually, the Wynn family rehired John and, in recognition of his decades of dedicated service, gifted him a thatched cottage with a large garden at Y Nhyra Isa (also known as “Nhyrau ddu”).
John Ystumllyn died of jaundice on July 9, 1786, and was buried at Ynyscynhaearn churchyard. His tombstone features an englyn (Welsh verse) by poet Dafydd Siôn Siams that begins, “Born in India, to Wales I came”—a likely reference to the West Indies rather than South Asia.
Growing cultural legacy
John Ystumllyn’s historical significance has gained renewed attention in recent years:
The Garden Museum is currently conducting expanded research into Ystumllyn’s life, led by Special Projects Officer Edward Adonteng, who has been instrumental in developing the museum’s “Black Gardening in Britain” display.
How to help
The museum has launched an online donation campaign to complement its grant funding applications. The £420,000 target represents an emergency effort to “rescue John’s portrait” and ensure this rare historical record remains in a public U.K. collection rather than entering private hands.
*Portrait of John Ystumllyn (1736–1786/88). Photo: Prudence Cuming.*
