Malvina Wells facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malvina Wells
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| Born | 1804 Carriacou, Grenada
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| Died | 1887 |
| Known for | Only known burial in Edinburgh of someone born enslaved |
Malvina Wells (born 1804, died 1887) was a special person from history. She is the only known person buried in Edinburgh, Scotland, who was born into slavery. This means she was not free when she was born.
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Malvina's Early Life
Malvina Wells was born in 1804 on an island called Carriacou. This island is part of Grenada in the West Indies. Her father was John Wells, who owned a plantation. We do not know her mother's name.
In 1817, a special record called a slave register listed Malvina. This record was for the Grand Bay estate in Carriacou. It said she was 13 years old. The record also noted she was 'mulatto'. This term meant her father was white and her mother was Black.
Life in Scotland
We do not know exactly when Malvina Wells came to Scotland. She worked for a woman named Joanna Isabella Macrae. Joanna's father, John McLean, owned enslaved people in Carriacou.
In 1851, Malvina Wells lived in Edinburgh at 33 Great King Street. Records show she worked as a lady's maid. She lived in the home of John A Macrae, who was a lawyer, and his wife Joanna Macrae.
By 1861, Malvina Wells had her own home at 42 Thistle Street in Edinburgh. She was listed as the head of the household. A dressmaker named Mary Johnston lived with her as a boarder.
Ten years later, in 1871, Malvina lived at 2 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh. She worked as a domestic servant for Edward Strathearn Gordon and his wife Agnes Joanna Gordon.
In 1881, the census listed Malvina Wells as Meleina Wells. She was 75 years old and still working as a lady's maid for Joanna Macrae, who was now a widow. Malvina passed away on April 22, 1887, at the age of 82. She died at 14 Gloucester Place. Joanna Macrae's son, Horatio R Macrae, registered her death. The cause of death was heart disease.
Her Memorial
Malvina Wells is buried under a marble headstone. The Macrae family placed this stone in the graveyard of St John's Church. This church is on Princes Street in Edinburgh. Her gravestone is next to a larger memorial for Joanna Isabella Maclean, the woman she worked for. The words on Malvina's headstone say she was a faithful friend and servant.
