A memorial to an 18th Century slaver John Gordon will be taken off from a church wall, following a vote by parish leaders.

The plaque in St Peter’s, Dorchester, commemorates plantation owner John Gordon and his role in the annihilation of hundreds of slaves in Jamaica.

The stone’s inscription, which says Gordon is buried nearby, extols his “bravery” and “humanity” following his “instrumental” part in the 1760 uprising by slaves in Jamaica, which became known as Tacky’s War.

Between 400 and 500 slaves were killed and hundreds more transported and sold on as colonial forces endeavored to suppress the revolt.

A temporary cover will be provided while plans to permanently remove it go through the church planning process.

Church warden Val Potter said: “It will take some time because the church authorities have the equivalent of a planning system… so we are talking months rather than days.”

In a statement before the meeting, campaign group Stand Up To Racism Dorset said: “Go in any church and you see monuments to the great and the good – many of whom got their wealth from slavery.

“This is different. It is a blatant and explicit glorification of white domination and the suppression of enslaved people.”