Deptford is an area in Southeast London on the Southern bank of the River Thames located in the borough of Lewisham. It is best known for being the location of the Deptford Dockyard which was the first Royal Dockyards and a major shipping dock in England and internationally with Russian leader Peter the Great even staying there for an extended period of time. Deptford is prominently featured in the Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano as a location that Olaudah’s master takes him and tries to deny him his freedom.
“In pursuance of our orders we sailed from Portsmouth for the Thames, and arrived at Deptford the 10th of December, where we cast anchor just as it was high water. The ship was up about half an hour, when my master ordered the barge to be manned; and all in an instant, without having before given me the least reason to suspect any thing of the matter, he forced me into the barge; saying, I was going to leave him, but he would take care I should not”
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