Mary Ann Macham sculpture to be installed in historic heart of North Shields

The Riverside Embankment Walkway overlooking the Fish Quay

A striking new sculpture honouring Mary Ann Macham, an escaped enslaved woman who made a new life in North Shields, is being installed overlooking the Fish Quay in the historic heart of the town.

The artwork will be officially unveiled on Thursday 20 November at 1pm by the Elected Mayor of North Tyneside, Karen Clark.

The bronze figure, created by North Shields-based artist Keith Barrett, will stand at the top of the Riverside Embankment Walkway, close to where Mary Ann once lived. The project is supported by the North East Combined Authority through the Transforming Cities Fund.

It marks a moment of freedom and resilience and is part of the North Shields 800 celebrations, a year-long programme recognising the town’s rich and diverse history.

Mary Ann fled a life of violent abuse on a Virginia plantation, evading capture and stowing away aboard a ship to Europe. She arrived in North Shields by road on Christmas Day 1831, where she was welcomed by the Spence family, prominent Quakers who campaigned for the abolition of slavery. Mary Ann married and lived into her 90s, supported by the local community.

Elected Mayor of North Tyneside Karen Clark said: “Mary Ann’s story is one of extraordinary courage, and it’s right that we honour her legacy in the heart of the town she came to call home.

“This sculpture is a powerful symbol of resilience and community support, values that are still at the heart of North Tyneside today. I’m proud to unveil this artwork as part of our North Shields 800 celebrations, and I hope it inspires reflection and pride in our shared history.”

Artist Keith Barrett said: “I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to create this sculpture celebrating the life of Mary Ann Macham.

“It has been particularly important to me because North Shields is my home town, and I feel honoured to be able to mark the bravery and insistence on freedom shown by Mary Ann, and the compassion and support for human rights and justice displayed by the Quaker community in North Shields, and all those towns people who enabled her to settle and marry, and live out the rest of her life in safety and freedom.

“I believe that Mary Ann’s story will resonate with the lives and experience of many of us, and wish that she may become a source of inspiration and hope to all who struggle through difficult and dark times, that their chains can be broken and their freedom found.”

The sculpture is part of North Tyneside Council’s Ambition for North Shields, which aims to create a vibrant town centre, a stronger evening and weekend economy, and high-quality public spaces.

Mary Ann’s statue joins a series of public artworks in North Shields, including a tribute to World War II hero Thomas Brown in the new Town Square that is named after him.

North Shields Riverside Embankment Walkway links North Shields’ improved town centre with the bustling Fish Quay, providing step-free access with route options to suit different needs.

The project has created an attraction in its own right, with stunning views of the Tyne and attractive landscaping. The Riverside Embankment Walkway has been designed with environmental sustainability and safety at its heart, providing benefits for health and wellbeing, and improving the appearance of the local landscape.

 Funding for the scheme was provided by the North East Combined Authority from the region’s Transforming Cities Fund.