Many years ago, my mother repeated something she had heard from her mum – that somewhere in the family history is a slave ancestor. I dismissed this as improbable, many years ago. However, a year or two back, the connection showed up. My great great grandmother was born on the tiny Atlantic island colony of St Helena. Born in 1824, Amelia Bertha Pollard was the daughter of Thomas Pollard of the 1st St Helena Artillery, and Mary Houndsworth, described as “free”, therefore non- European. Whilst the slave trade was stopped by the British in about 1807, and slavery abolished altogether in the British empire in 1833, in St Helena the taking or buying of slaves was stopped in the late 18th Century, all children born of a slave parent was declared free if born after 1818, so Mary, an adult in 1824 may have obtained her freedom by other means – yet to be discovered. It seems likely that her father too was a soldier, but the records are scant and we shall probably never know. Amelia Bertha married in 1842 in Madras, aged under 18, so it seems likely her father Thomas was posted there.
It goes to show, that however improbable a family legend may be, there is usually a reason for it. The reason may not be what you are told, but where there is smoke, it is at least worth looking for the fire.
(I am indebted to Chris and Sheila Hillman who have done research on the island, and Colin Fox for information about slavery on St Helena)