Trumpeter in the courts of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He probably came to England as one of the African attendants of Catherine of Aragon in 1501, and is one of the earliest recorded black people in England after the Roman period. Wikipedia strangely says that his surname may be a reference to his skin colour, derived either from the word 'black' or from the French 'blanc' meaning white!
The first person of African descent in British history for whom there is both an image and a record.
This image shows Blanke playing at the Westminster Tournament of 1511.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
