Elizabeth Swain Bannister facts for kids
Elizabeth Swain Bannister (also known as E. S. Bannister and Elizabeth Swayne Bannister, born February 22, 1785 – died 1828) was a free woman of color from Barbados. She gained her freedom in 1806, thanks to her aunt, Susannah Ostrehan. Later, Elizabeth moved to Berbice, a Dutch colony, where she lived with her partner, William Fraser. She was a successful businesswoman, buying property and owning many enslaved people. When she died, she left a large amount of money, £5,400, to her children, whose father had made them legitimate heirs.
Becoming Free
Elizabeth and her sister, Susannah, were christened on February 22, 1785, in Saint Michael Parish, Barbados. Their mother was Lydia Ostrehan. Elizabeth's grandmother, Priscilla Ostrehan, had been enslaved by Thomas Ostrehan.
On August 19, 1806, Elizabeth, along with two cousins, Henry and Mary, were set free by their aunt, Susannah Ostrehan. This process of setting someone free was called manumission. To help Elizabeth gain her freedom, Susannah sold her to Captain James White, a well-known merchant who traveled by sea. He helped Elizabeth get her freedom papers in London.
At that time, the fees to free enslaved people in Barbados were very high, £300 for women and £200 for men. This was much more expensive than in other places like Dominica or England. To avoid these high costs, people would find a trusted sailor traveling to England. This sailor would go to the Lord Mayor of London, pay a lower fee, get the freedom papers, and bring the certificate back.
Starting a Business
After becoming free, Elizabeth Bannister moved to Berbice, which was a Dutch Colony in what is now Guyana, by 1809. There, she started a relationship with William Fraser (1787–1830). Fraser had come to Berbice in 1803 from Cromarty, Scotland. They had four children together: John (born 1810), George (born 1815), Elizabeth (who died young), and Jane (born around 1821).
Elizabeth and William ran their businesses separately, and Elizabeth continued to use her own name. We don't know exactly how she earned her money. However, her aunt Susannah Ostrehan had owned a hotel, and her own sister, also named Susannah Ostrehan, was running a hotel in Berbice. So, it's possible Elizabeth joined the family business.
Records show that by 1817, Elizabeth owned 30 enslaved people. By 1822, she owned 66, and by 1825, she owned 76. William Fraser also owned many enslaved people, including 330 at his sugar plantation, Goldstone Hall, by 1821.
In 1823, the couple sent their children to be educated in Scotland. John and George went to Paisley Grammar School, where John won a scholar's prize in 1827. Jane started her studies in Liverpool and later studied in Glasgow.
William Fraser knew that in Britain, his children were considered illegitimate because he and Elizabeth were not married. To make sure his children could inherit his property, he asked the Colonial Secretary for "letters of legitimation." This was a special legal process to make them his rightful heirs. After securing their rights, he returned to Berbice and lived with Elizabeth until her death in 1828.
Her Legacy
When Elizabeth Bannister passed away, she left behind a large estate worth £5,400. She gave the largest share, £3,000, to her daughter Jane.
Although their father, William Fraser, returned to Scotland, he died two years later. He had many debts, and it took until 1846 to sort out his finances. Elizabeth's son, John Fraser, began studying surgery in Cromarty but died in Scotland before 1845.
George Fraser, another son, went back to South America and managed his father's plantation, L'Esperance, in Suriname. In 1839, George and his siblings offered the property for sale. George died in 1842, and his son, also named George Fraser, inherited the property and 96 enslaved people. He later sold the property.
Jane married Giles Dixon in 1838 and had a daughter named Maria around 1841. The family moved to Devon the next year. Jane passed away in 1850 after giving birth to her son, John.
