Discover Victorian Muslim Robert ‘Reschid’ Stanley through his descendant’s research & sip some ethical supplied coffee at Darkwoods.

Join this in-person event for the local community to discover the story of a Victorian Muslim ancestor.

His Own Man

Always His Own Man, Robert ‘Reschid’ Stanley is brought into the light through painstaking family-history research by his descendants and the words of his great-great-great-granddaughter, Christina Longden. Hear about Christina’s Victorian Muslim ancestor and see some of his artefacts. The event takes place at what the organizer describes as the most ethical and eco-coffee place in the UK.

Meet Christina Longden

Born and bred in the Stalybridge, Ashton and Dukinfield area of east Manchester, Christina began her career in social housing and community development. She lived in Namibia for several years, worked with the Kalahari ‘San’ bushmen, had her first child there, and wrote two books about San lives. After several years in Africa, she and her family returned to the UK and settled in the borderlands of west Yorkshire.

Christina’s first novel, the comedy-drama with a splash of politics Mind Games and Ministers, is set in the north of England. Its sequel, Cuckoo in the Chocolate, can be read alongside it or on its own.

Passionate about history and what we can learn from it, Christina has published books about the life of her “hidden” Victorian Muslim ancestor, Stalybridge’s Robert Reschid Stanley. Within days, more than a million people had viewed the BBC article about him; her recent YouTube lecture about Robert Reschid has attracted more than 76,000 viewers.

Darkwoods Coffee

We'd like to thank Darkwoods Coffee for allowing us to use their venue. We encourage attendees to support the venue by trying their ethically sourced coffee. Drinks will be available to purchase with all proceeds going to charity (coffee, teas etc).

Darkwoods is an adventurous, community-focused coffee roastery, dedicated to bringing you responsibly sourced specialty coffees from some of the world’s best producers. Their home is a converted Victorian textile mill at the foot of the West Yorkshire Pennines, surrounded by windswept moorland, drystone walls, and ancient woodland. This landscape, and the people who live here, help inspire how they craft their coffee.

Description supplied by the event organiser.