At Historical Roots we are so grateful to Yorkshire historian, Audrey Dewjee, for drawing our attention to dramatic new research into the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle.
Dido has been something of a fixation with us for approaching 30 years, ever since going to Camden library to get a copy of a short pamphlet that the local history society had produced about the mysterious black girl in the double portrait at Kenwood House. Gradually over the years, more snippets of information have emerged but until now, if anyone asked, we always had to say that, sadly, no one knew what had happened to Dido’s mother, Maria.
Now, thanks to fantastic work by Joanne Major, we know rather more about what became of Maria Bell. If you share even one tenth of our interest in Dido’s story you really must read Joanne’s article:
Joanne has found that John Lindsey, having fathered a number of illegitimate children, married in 1768. But it seems that Lindsey ‘did not neglect his former lover.’ Indeed, Joanne goes on to say ‘In 1773 Lindsay began a process to transfer a piece of property he owned in Pensacola, Florida to Maria Bell, with the requirement that she build a house there. At the time, Maria Bell was living in London but a year later, when the deal was finalised, she had travelled to America. In the document, she was referred to as “a Negro woman of Pensacola, formerly of Pensacola, and then residing in London”’. This, of course, raises the tantalising thought that, if Dido’s mother lived in London for several years while her daughter was being raised in Lord Mansfield’s household at Kenwood House, might they have been in contact?
There is a great deal more of interest in Joanne’s article which is a fascinating read.
I notice that the heading of the page is ‘All Things Georgian’ and underneath it says that the site is for: ‘Super Sleuths who blog about anything and everything to do with the Georgian Era’. Well, Joanne Major definitely deserves to be regarded as a ‘super sleuth’ for casting fresh light on Dido’s story.