Eliza Junor facts for kids

Eliza Junor (born in 1804, died on April 20, 1861) was a woman from Scotland with a mixed heritage. Her father, Hugh Junor, used to own slaves. Her mother was a free woman of color, but her name is not known.

Her Early Life

Eliza and her brother, William, were born in a place called Demerara. This was a British colony, now known as Guyana. Their father owned a large timber estate there. About sixty enslaved people worked on his estate.

In 1816, Hugh Junor returned to his home country, Scotland. He brought Eliza and William with him. Their mother did not seem to come along. They settled in a town called Fortrose, on the Black Isle. Both children were baptized in Rosemarkie.

Education and Work

In Fortrose, Eliza went to school. She was very good at writing and even won prizes for her penmanship. Later, she lived in Edinburgh and then in Brixton, London. She worked as a governess, which means she taught children in their homes.

Eliza never got married. She had one daughter named Emma McGregor. Emma was baptized in 1838. Eliza returned to Fortrose in the 1850s. Her brother William married a woman from Glasgow. He moved to Argentina to work as a missionary for the Methodist Church. Eliza Junor passed away on April 20, 1861. She is buried in the Rosemarkie churchyard.

Her Legacy

Eliza Junor is important because she was a black woman living in Scotland and England in the 1800s. Her life story helps us understand history better. A historian named David Alston researched her life.

Her story has also been made into a short film. The film is called Eliza and is in Gaelic. An actress named Tawana Maramba played Eliza. A song called "Òran Eliza" was also written by Eilidh Mackenzie.

In October 2020, Fortrose Academy started the first Eliza Junor Penmanship Competition. This event was held to celebrate Black History Month.