A Moment with Miriam: Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay

Dido Elizabeth Belle was born about 1763. Her mother was at the metre a British Royal Navy captain who later became Admiral John Lindsay and was nephew of the Earl of Mansfield. Little is known of her mother although the chronicle goes that Lindsay captured a Spanish ship and had his way with one of the slaves. It is dubious that the woman willing gave herself to the captain.

It is said that she was his mistress but a mistress must be complimentary to do that option and as a slave Dido's mother was not free. There is no data as to what happened to her after Dido's birth. Lindsay sent the Dido to his uncle, the Earl of Mansfield who lived with his home at Kenwood House in Hampstead, England. They were already raising her cousin Elizabeth Lindsay who was about the like age as Dido and had also lost her mother. It is possible Mansfield took Dido in as Elizabeth's playmate and, later in life, her personal attendant. Dido was never treated as an equal member of the family, she did not dine with the balance of the family especially if they had guests, but joined the ladies for coffee afterwards. As she grew older, she took responsibility of the dairy and poultry yards at Kenwood. She received an annual adjustment of 30 10s (Elizabeth received about 100, but 30 10s was various times the annual wages of a female servant). A 1779 painting by Johann Zoffany shows the two cousins together and now hangs at Scone Palace in Scotland and is owned by the present Earl Mansfield. Elizabeth married and leftover the land in 1780 at the age of 20. When Dido's father died, he left her 1000 in his leave and asked his wife Mary to acquire charge of her. Mary Lindsay's later will does not mention Dido. Lord Mansfield, in turn, left Dido 500 and 100 annuity in his leave and officially confirmed her freedom. Dido's later life is largely unknown. According to genealogist researcher Sarah Minney, in 1793 Dido married a steward named John Davinier and they had 3 sons. Dido Elizabeth Belle died in July 1804. She was interred in the St George Hanover Square burial ground. In the eighteenth Century, some Black mass in the Eighteenth Century were considerably more privileged than most. One such Woman was Dido Elizabeth Bell Lindsay. Dido was the girl of Captain John Lindsay of the Imperial Navy. She was natural in England to an African mother who was captured from a Spanish ship. Dido lived in Kenwood with her Great uncle William Murray until she was at least thirty. Although she was not a servant, it seems that she had a statues slightly lower than that of a good family member. Among her tasks were apt to Cows and Poultry. Murray and his Wife were childless and seemed glad to raise Dido and her cousin Lady Elizabeth Lindsay, whose father had died while she was yet an infant. Authors Speculate that Dido`s role in the house might have been that of `Playmate or incidental to her cousin. The Portrait by Zoffany proves that Dido grew up to be an elegant and beautiful young woman. Her high status afforded her presents at Christmas and Birthdays that were more than normal servants would get, yet certainly less than her cousin Lady Elizabeth. When her cousin left Kenwood to tie in 1785 Dido stayed on to feel after the Murrays. While she stayed there records indicate that she lived in some comfort. Her bed was hung with glazed Chintz, she had asses milk when she was ill and a mahogany table made for her. (Adams p13). After her fathers death she received One thousand pounds. In her fathers obituary, which appeared in the London Chronicle she was referred to as having an affable disposition and accomplishments which have gained her the highest respect. (London Times, June 9th 1788,555) When her Great Uncle died he left her a further 500 pounds and 100 pounds per year for life. He too made sure that she was a barren woman. Little is known of Dido after the death of her uncle except that we can accept that she married, in 1779 her name changes to Davinier and she left Kenwood.Black England