Julius Soubise facts for kids
Julius Soubise (1754 – 25 August 1798) was an Afro-Caribbean man who was once enslaved. He became a very well-known and fashionable person in Britain in the late 1700s. People often made fun of him in drawings, like the famous one called A Mungo Macaroni. This drawing shows how race, social class, and gender were seen in London during that time. Soubise lived a fancy life as a free Black man. He was excellent at activities like fencing. He became famous in London's social scene because his life was so different from what people expected.
Contents
A Young Life Changed
Julius Soubise was born in 1754 on the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean. His mother was an enslaved Jamaican woman. When he was ten years old, a Royal Navy Captain named Stair Douglas bought him. The captain took him to England, where he was still enslaved, and called him Othello.
In 1764, Captain Douglas gave Soubise to his relative, Catherine Douglas, Duchess of Queensberry. She was a very unusual and well-known person in London's high society. The Duchess set Soubise free, which means she gave him his freedom. She then renamed him after a French duke, Charles de Rohan. The Duchess treated Soubise like her own son. She gave him a very special life, and her husband, Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry, seemed to agree with this.
Becoming a Social Star
The Duchess arranged for Soubise to be trained by a famous fencing master named Domenico Angelo. Soubise often went with Angelo to teach fencing at important schools like Eton and Windsor. Soubise became the Duchess's riding and fencing teacher.
He became very popular among young noblemen, who were sons of important families. He joined many fashionable clubs, like the Thatched House Club. The Duchess's support helped Soubise live a life full of social events and fashion. Sometimes, he even called himself "Prince Ana-Ana-maboe" or "The Black Prince." He would say he was from an African royal family.
Ignatius Sancho, another famous formerly enslaved Black man, wrote a letter to Soubise in 1772. Sancho told Soubise to remember how lucky he was to have such a special life as a Black person at that time. He encouraged Soubise to live a good and proper life.
Life in India
On 15 July 1777, Soubise left Britain and went to India. The Duchess of Queensberry died just two days after he left. In India, Soubise started a fencing and riding school in Calcutta, which is now called Kolkata. He advertised that both men and women could attend his school.
On 25 August 1798, Soubise was trying to train a horse when he fell. He was badly hurt and died from his injuries. He had two known children, a daughter named Mary and a son named William.
Famous Caricatures
Soubise became so well-known that he was featured in several satirical drawings called caricatures. These drawings made fun of people or situations in a humorous way.
The most famous drawing of him is A Mungo Macaroni, published on 10 September 1772. This drawing was part of a popular series from 1771–1773 that showed fashionable young men. The series was published by Matthew and Mary Darly.
The word "macaroni" was a popular term back then for a very fashionable young man, like a dandy. "Mungo" was the name of a servant character from a popular 1769 comic opera called The Padlock. This character was often shown as a servant who acted important. People sometimes used "Mungo" to describe enslaved people who were treated like pets by rich families. Calling Soubise a "Mungo Macaroni" was meant to make fun of the fancy identity he had created for himself.
Another well-known satirical drawing is by William Austin. It's called The Duchess of Queensbury and Soubise and was published on 1 May 1773. This drawing shows Soubise and the Duchess having a fencing match. Austin's drawing was based on real fencing illustrations. It also used stories about Soubise from a book by Henry Angelo. Austin made fun of Soubise and the Duchess's unusual friendship. He showed Soubise as the Mungo servant character. In the drawing, Soubise says lines from the Mungo character, like: “Mungo here, Mungo dere, Mungo every where; Above and below. Hah! Vat your gracy tink of me now?” This drawing has been known by different names over time, including “The Eccentric Duchess of Queensbury fencing with her protégé the Creole Soubise (otherwise ‘Mungo’).”
Talents and Education
Soubise was also an actor. Some reports suggest he played the role of Othello and the character Mungo from The Padlock. These roles were usually played by white actors wearing makeup to look Black. However, these reports came from a newspaper called Hicky's Bengal Gazette, which might have said this to make fun of Soubise. Soubise was strongly linked to these characters in society. People often labeled him because he was a Black actor, and this was highlighted in drawings like A Mungo Macaroni.
Soubise received special training in riding and fencing. His teacher was the famous fencing master Domenico Angelo, thanks to the Duchess Douglas's connections. Soubise was also known for playing the violin, singing, and acting. He even learned how to speak well from the famous actor David Garrick.
Fashionable Styles
Soubise's clothing style was similar to other fashionable young men of his time. His look often showed a French influence, just like his chosen name. The drawing A Mungo Macaroni shows Soubise wearing a fancy hat, ruffled clothes, a walking stick, and a decorated sword.
He was known for wearing large, powdered wigs. He also wore fine fabrics like silk and clothes that fit tightly to his body. There are stories of him wearing shoes with diamond buckles and red heels. These styles made Soubise and other fashionable men seem overly fancy or even feminine to some people. Caricatures often showed them this way. However, Soubise also created a unique Black identity for himself that was linked to being very extravagant.
See also
- Black British elite, a group of successful Black people in Britain that Soubise was part of.
