The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave
they nursed me, and did all that lay in their power to serve me. The man
was well acquainted with my situation, as he used to go to and fro to Mr.
Wood's house to clean shoes and knives; and he and his wife were sorry for
me.
About this time, a woman of the name of Hill told me of the Anti-Slavery
Society, and went with me to their office, to inquire if they could do any
thing to get me my freedom, and send me back to the West Indies. The
gentlemen of the Society took me to a lawyer, who examined very strictly
into my case; but told me that the laws of England could do nothing to
make me free in Antigua[14]. However they did all they could for me: they
gave me a little money from time to time to keep me from want; and some of
them went to Mr. Wood to try to persuade him to let me return a free woman
to my husband; but though they offered him, as I have heard, a large sum
for my freedom, he was sulky and obstinate, and would not consent to let
me go free.
[Footnote 14: She came first to the Anti-Slavery Office in Aldermanbury,
about the latter end of November 1828; and her case was referred to Mr.
George Stephen to be investigated. More of this hereafter.--ED.]
This was the first winter I spent in England, and I suffered much from the
severe cold, and from the rheumatic pains, which still at times torment
me. However, Providence was very good to me, and I got many
friends--especially some Quaker ladies, who hearing of my case, came and
sought me out, and gave me good warm clothing and money. Thus I had great
cause to bless God in my affliction.
When I got better I was anxious to get some work to do, as I was unwilling
to eat the bread of idleness. Mrs. Mash, who was a laundress, recommended
me to a lady for a charwoman. She paid me very handsomely for what work I
did, and I divided the money with Mrs. Mash; for though very poor, they
gave me food when my own money was done, and never suffered me to want.
In the spring, I got into service with a lady, who saw me at the house
where I sometimes worked as a charwoman. This lady's name was Mrs.
Forsyth. She had been in the West Indies, and was accustomed to Blacks,
and liked them. I was with her six months, and went with her to Margate.
She treated me well, and gave me a good character when she left London.[15]
[Footnote 15: She refers to a written certificate which will be inserted
afterwards.]
After Mrs. Forsyth went away, I was again out of place, and went to
lodgings, for which I paid two shillings a week, and found coals and
candle. After eleven weeks, the money I had saved in service was all gone,
and I was forced to go back to the Anti-Slavery office to ask a supply,
till I could get another situation. I did not like to go back--I did not
like to be idle. I would rather work for my living than get it for
nothing. They were very good to give me a supply, but I felt shame at
being obliged to apply for relief whilst I had strength to work.
At last I went into the service of Mr. and Mrs. Pringle, where I have been
ever since, and am as comfortable as I can be while separated from my dear
husband, and away from my own country and all old friends and connections.
My dear mistress teaches me daily to read the word of God, and takes great
pains to make me understand it. I enjoy the great privilege of being
enabled to attend church three times on the Sunday; and I have met with
many kind friends since I have been here, both clergymen and others. The
Rev. Mr. Young, who lives in the next house, has shown me much kindness,
and taken much pains to instruct me, particularly while my master and
mistress were absent in Scotland. Nor must I forget, among my friends, the
Rev. Mr. Mortimer, the good clergyman of the parish, under whose ministry
I have now sat for upwards of twelve months. I trust in God I have
profited by what I have heard from him. He never keeps back the truth, and
I think he has been the means of opening my eyes and ears much better to
understand the word of God. Mr. Mortimer tells me that he cannot open the
eyes of my heart, but that I must pray to God to change my heart, and make
me to know the truth, and the truth will make me free.
I still live in the hope that God will find a way to give me my liberty,
and give me back to my husband. I endeavour to keep down my fretting, and
to leave all to Him, for he knows what is good for me better than I know
myself. Yet, I must confess, I find it a hard and heavy task to do so.
I am often much vexed, and I feel great sorrow when I hear some people in
this country say, that the slaves do not need better usage, and do not
want to be free.[16] They believe the foreign people,[17] who deceive them,
and say slaves are happy. I say, Not so. How can slaves be happy when they
have the halter round their neck and the whip upon their back? and are
disgraced and thought no more of than beasts?--and are separated from
their mothers, and husbands, and children, and sisters, just as cattle are
sold and separated? Is it happiness for a driver in the field to take down
his wife or sister or child, and strip them, and whip them in such a
disgraceful manner?--women that have had children exposed in the open
field to shame! There is no modesty or decency shown by the owner to his
slaves; men, women, and children are exposed alike. Since I have been here
I have often wondered how English people can go out into the West Indies
and act in such a beastly manner. But when they go to the West Indies,
they forget God and all feeling of shame, I think, since they can see and
do such things. They tie up slaves like hogs--moor[18] them up like cattle,
and they lick them, so as hogs, or cattle, or horses never were
flogged;--and yet they come home and say, and make some good people
believe, that slaves don't want to get out of slavery. But they put a
cloak about the truth. It is not so. All slaves want to be free--to be
free is very sweet. I will say the truth to English people who may read
this history that my good friend, Miss S----, is now writing down for me.
I have been a slave myself--I know what slaves feel--I can tell by myself
what other slaves feel, and by what they have told me. The man that says
slaves be quite happy in slavery--that they don't want to be free--that
man is either ignorant or a lying person. I never heard a slave say so. I
never heard a Buckra man say so, till I heard tell of it in England. Such
people ought to be ashamed of themselves. They can't do without slaves,
they say. What's the reason they can't do without slaves as well as in
England? No slaves here--no whips--no stocks--no punishment, except for
wicked people. They hire servants in England; and if they don't like them,
they send them away: they can't lick them. Let them work ever so hard in
England, they are far better off than slaves. If they get a bad master,
they give warning and go hire to another. They have their liberty. That's
just what we want. We don't mind hard work, if we had proper treatment,
and proper wages like English servants, and proper time given in the week
to keep us from breaking the Sabbath. But they won't give it: they will
have work--work--work, night and day, sick or well, till we are quite done
up; and we must not speak up nor look amiss, however much we be abused.
And then when we are quite done up, who cares for us, more than for a lame
horse? This is slavery. I tell it, to let English people know the truth;
and I hope they will never leave off to pray God, and call loud to the
great King of England, till all the poor blacks be given free, and slavery
done up for evermore.
[Footnote 16: The whole of this paragraph especially, is given as nearly as
was possible in Mary's precise words.]
[Footnote 17: She means West Indians.]
[Footnote 18: A West Indian phrase: to fasten or tie up.]
SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
HISTORY OF MARY PRINCE.
BY THE EDITOR.
Leaving Mary's narrative, for the present, without comment to the reader's
reflections, I proceed to state some circumstances connected with her case
which have fallen more particularly under my own notice, and which I
consider it incumbent now to lay fully before the public.
About the latter end of November, 1828, this poor woman found her way to
the office of the Anti-Slavery Society in Aldermanbury, by the aid of a
person who had become acquainted with her situation, and had advised her
to apply there for advice and assistance. After some preliminary
examination into the accuracy of the circumstances related by her, I went
along with her to Mr. George Stephen, solicitor, and requested him to
investigate and draw up a statement of her case, and have it submitted to
counsel, in order to ascertain whether or not, under the circumstances,
her freedom could be legally established on her return to Antigua. On this
occasion, in Mr. Stephen's presence and mine, she expressed, in very
strong terms, her anxiety to return thither if she could go as a free
person, and, at the same time, her extreme apprehensions of the fate that
would probably await her if she returned as a slave. Her words were, "I
would rather go into my grave than go back a slave to Antigua, though I
wish to go back to my husband very much--very much--very much! I am much
afraid my owners would separate me from my husband, and use me very hard,
or perhaps sell me for a field negro;--and slavery is too too bad. I would
rather go into my grave!"
The paper which Mr. Wood had given her before she left his house, was
placed by her in Mr. Stephen's hands. It was expressed in the following
terms:--
"I have already told Molly, and now give it her in writing,
in order that there may be no misunderstanding on her part,
that as I brought her from Antigua at her own request and
entreaty, and that she is consequently now free, she is of
course at liberty to take her baggage and go where she
pleases. And, in consequence of her late conduct, she must
do one of two things--either quit the house, or return to
Antigua by the earliest opportunity, as she does not evince
a disposition to make herself useful. As she is a stranger
in London, I do not wish to turn her out, or would do so,
as two female servants are sufficient for my establishment.
If after this she does remain, it will be only during her
good behaviour: but on no consideration will I allow her
wages or any other remuneration for her services.
"JOHN A. WOOD."
"London, August 18, 1828."
This paper, though not devoid of inconsistencies, which will be apparent
to any attentive reader, is craftily expressed; and was well devised to
serve the purpose which the writer had obviously in view, namely, to
frustrate any appeal which the friendless black woman might make to the
sympathy of strangers, and thus prevent her from obtaining an asylum, if
she left his house, from any respectable family. As she had no one to
refer to for a character in this country except himself, he doubtless
calculated securely on her being speedily driven back, as soon as the
slender fund she had in her possession was expended, to throw herself
unconditionally upon his tender mercies; and his disappointment in this
expectation appears to have exasperated his feelings of resentment towards
the poor woman, to a degree which few persons alive to the claims of
common justice, not to speak of christianity or common humanity, could
easily have anticipated. Such, at least, seems the only intelligible
inference that can be drawn from his subsequent conduct.
The case having been submitted, by desire of the Anti-Slavery Committee,
to the consideration of Dr. Lushington and Mr. Sergeant Stephen, it was
found that there existed no legal means of compelling Mary's master to