Scipio Kennedy facts for kids

Grave marker for Scipio Kennedy at Kirkoswald Old Churchyard, Ayrshire, Scotland

Scipio Kennedy (born around 1694–1774) was an enslaved boy taken from Guinea in West Africa. When he was about five or six years old, Captain Andrew Douglas bought him. Scipio then worked for Douglas's daughter, Jean, who was married to Sir John Kennedy of Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland.

In 1725, Scipio was granted his freedom, a process called manumission. Even after gaining freedom, he continued to work for the Kennedy family. He was given land on their estate. In 1728, he got married and had at least eight children. Today, at least one of his descendants lives in western Scotland and has shared Scipio's story in a Scottish newspaper.

Life for Enslaved Africans in Scotland

During the late 1600s, many wealthy Scottish families, known as the gentry, started having black African servants. This was partly because of the success of plantations in other parts of the world, which used enslaved labor. Merchants who brought goods from places like the Caribbean and the Americas often came across slave ships. Some of these merchants would "redeem" (buy) enslaved people to work in their homes.

Most of these servants were men and boys. They often worked in important jobs where they could be seen, like page boys or footmen. Sometimes, they were given names that made fun of their situation, like "Caesar." However, their lives in Scotland were often much better than those of enslaved people on plantations in the New World. Many were taught to read and write. They were also expected to become Christians and be baptized. By the late 1700s, the law began to see them as equal human beings.

Scipio's Journey to Scotland

Around the year 1700, when Scipio was just five or six, he was captured in West Africa. He was then forced onto a slave ship in the area known as the Gulf of Guinea. These ships usually traveled to islands in the Caribbean first. It's likely Scipio was taken to one of these islands before Andrew Douglas of Mains bought him. Douglas then brought Scipio to Scotland in 1702.

Douglas probably chose the name Scipio for him. This name comes from Scipio Africanus, a famous Roman general who won important battles. Andrew Douglas had a daughter named Jean. In 1705, Jean married John Kennedy, and Scipio moved to Culzean Castle with them. While living there, Scipio learned to read, write, and even how to make textiles (cloth). In March 1711, John Kennedy became the 2nd Baronet after his father passed away.

Gaining Freedom and New Life

Scipio's freedom document is kept at the National Archives of Scotland. It is dated 1725. This document gave Scipio the right to find work anywhere he wanted. It also mentioned that the Kennedy family had given Scipio "clothing, maintenance and education with more than ordinary kindness."

The document also set out the terms for Scipio to continue working for the Kennedys for another nineteen years, if he chose. He would be paid "twelve pounds Scots money yearly" plus his share of "drink money." Both John Kennedy and Scipio signed this important document.

Later that year, Scipio married Margaret. Together, they had seven more children.

Scipio's Home

In the 1750s, a map of the estate was created by John Foulis of Redburn. A copy of this map is still at Culzean Castle. The map shows a building on a piece of land about 800 meters from the castle, close to where the walled garden is today. The map has the word "Sipios" written over this building.

The house cost £90 to build, which was a lot of money back then. It was likely an impressive stone building. In 2007, archaeologists dug up the area where the house once stood. They found some old items that might have belonged to Scipio.

Lady Kennedy's Kindness

Lady Jean Kennedy's will, written in 1751, included a gift for Scipio. She left "to Scipio Kennedy my old servant, the sum of ten pounds sterling." This amount was similar to what she left for each of her grandchildren (who each received a third of £40). This suggests that Lady Kennedy thought of Scipio as a part of her family.

Remembering Scipio: His Memorial Stone

In the Kirkoswald Old Church graveyard, there is a stone that remembers Scipio's life. One of his sons, Douglas Kennedy, put it there. The stone doesn't say Scipio is buried there, but it does say his son is "also" buried there.

The stone reads:

• This stone is erected by Douglas Kennedy in Memory of his father Scipio Kennedy who died June 24, 1774 Aged 80 years.
• Also here lieth the body of said Douglas Kennedy who died July 21, 1781 aged 49 years.

Scipio's Family Today

Many people have wondered about Scipio's family line. In May 2012, The Scotsman newspaper published an article by Jonathan Sharp. He shared his personal research into his family history. He was able to trace his family back through one of Scipio's daughters, Elizabeth Kennedy, who lived in Kirkoswald. This means Jonathan Sharp is a direct descendant of Scipio Kennedy.

Images for kids

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  Grave marker for former slave Scipio Kennedy at Kirkoswald Old Churchyard, Ayrshire, Scotland