Judith Philip facts for kids

Judith Philip (born around 1760 – died 1848) was a successful businesswoman from Grenada. She was a free woman of African and French heritage. She built one of the largest estates in Grenada. When Britain ended slavery in the West Indies, she owned many people. She received a large amount of money as compensation, which showed how wealthy and influential she was.

Early Life and Family

Judith Philip was born around 1760. This was on one of her parents' estates. It was either on Carriacou or Petite Martinique. At that time, these islands were part of Grenada, which was a French colony.

Her father, Honoré Philip, was a French baker. He came from France in the 1750s with his mother and two brothers. He settled on Petite Martinique. Honoré married Jeanette, an African woman. She was likely freed under French laws. By 1760, they owned estates. These estates grew cotton and indigo on both Petite Martinique and Carriacou.

Judith was the oldest daughter. She had seven younger brothers and sisters. These included Honoré Jr., Nicholas Regis, Jean Baptiste-Louis, Joachim, Susanna, Michel, and Magdalen. Just three years later, Grenada became a British territory. This happened at the end of the Seven Years' War.

In the early 1770s, Judith Philip started a relationship with Edmund Thornton. He was a British merchant. They had five children together: Ann Rachel, Magdalen, Judith, Louis Edmund, and Philip. Thornton managed estates on Carriacou. He worked for the Clan Urquhart family from Scotland.

Their partnership helped both of them. Thornton was English in a mostly French colony. He used Philip's business contacts. This helped him trade with other French planters. Philip learned to read and do business in English from Thornton. This expanded her own business connections.

In 1779, the French took back Carriacou. Philip's father, Honoré, died that same year. His estates then belonged to his wife and children. The family owned all the property on Petite Martinique. They also had a 160-acre estate called "Grand Anse" on Carriacou. This estate was near Tyrrel Bay. They also owned several lots in Hillsborough.

The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783. This treaty returned Grenada to British control. After this, Philip and her children moved to St. George's with Thornton. By 1788, when Philip's mother, Jeanette, died, the family owned even more. They had townhouses in Hillsborough, St. George's, and Gouyave. They also owned over 200 enslaved people.

Building a Business Empire

Judith Philip first took over managing the "Grand Anse" estate from her brother Jean Baptiste-Louis. She fully inherited the estate when her mother died in 1788. Over the next ten years, Philip bought properties from her siblings. Nicholas Regis died in 1789, and Philip inherited part of his estate. Honoré Jr. sold her his properties on Petite Martinique, St. George's, and Hillsborough in 1792 and 1793. Soon after, Jean Baptiste-Louis moved to Trinidad and sold his properties to her.

Philip earned money from three estates on Carriacou: "Grand Anse," "Susannah," and "Petite Anse." She also collected rent from her town properties. The three plantations were spread across the island. This allowed Philip to move enslaved people between her different estates as needed. Besides cotton and indigo, she also grew cacao at "Susannah."

In 1794, Thornton went back to England. Philip and her children also moved to England. They lived in London. Philip stayed there for ten years while her five children went to school.

Soon after Philip and Thornton left Grenada, a rebellion started in 1795. It was called the Fédon Rebellion. This uprising involved free people of color who were unhappy with British rule. They felt they had lost privileges they had under French rule. Philip's brother Joachim became a leader in this rebellion. He was captured and executed by the British in 1804.

Even though her brother was involved, Philip was mostly safe from British punishment. This was partly because she had made important connections with the British through Thornton. Also, her estates on the smaller islands were not very involved in the uprising. While she was in England, her sister Susannah managed Philip's estates. Susannah lived in Trinidad, and Philip had bought the "Susannah" plantation from her.

Returning to Grenada in 1808, Philip took control of her estates again. She also managed many of her siblings' properties. She kept buying property in Grenada and London. She also managed her children's investments. Records from 1817 show that Philip's main property, "Grand Anse," was over 400 acres. It was worked by 276 enslaved people. She also had enslaved people registered in Trinidad. They likely worked on her siblings' estates there.

Throughout the 1820s, Philip was one of the most important planters in Grenada. She was very active in the social and business life of the colony. In 1822, when one of the people working on her estate faced a serious legal issue, she helped get his sentence changed. She gathered signatures from important people on the island. The fact that she, a free woman of French and African heritage, could get a British colonial secretary to change a sentence shows how respected and important she was in the colony.

In 1833, the Abolition Act was passed. Philip received over 6,603 pounds sterling for her 275 enslaved people. This made her one of the wealthiest planters on the island.

Later Life and Legacy

Judith Philip died in 1848. Her estates were left to her children and grandchildren. Four months after her death, her daughters put most of the property in Grenada up for sale. They kept "Grand Anse." Their plan was to return to England, where they owned other property.