DIDO BELLE'S LIFE AT KENWOOD

We sent young English Heritage Members Olivia, Ela and Leyla to Kenwood in London to learn more about Dido Belle, the daughter of the Royal Navy officer Sir John Lindsay and an African slave called Maria Belle.

Find out more about how she came to live at Kenwood House in London.

Meet dido belle

I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Dido Elizabeth Belle and I live here at Kenwood House with my great-uncle, William Murray, Lord Mansfield, my great-aunt, Lady Mansfield and of course my dear cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray.

Ela: Where were you born?

I was born in the Caribbean. My mother was an African woman named Maria and my father a Royal Navy officer. He brought my mother and I over here to England on a ship.

Dido Belle being interviewed by two young English Heritage Members

Ela: Are you pleased that your father brought you to Kenwood?

I was only about 4 or 5 when I came to live at Kenwood. My mother lived in London for a while but has now moved to Florida. I miss her, but at least she is free and has her own land. My great uncle has looked after me and I enjoy the house and grounds.

Leyla: What’s it like living at Kenwood?

I have a very full and happy life here. I was taught to read and write by my governess, and I help Lord Mansfield with letter writing and minutes. You see he’s Lord Chief Justice, in fact you can see many of his legal texts in the library here. I also enjoy playing music, and spending time in our dairy and poultry yard.

Dido Belle's story

Dido Elizabeth Belle was the illegitimate daughter of Sir John Lindsay (1737–88), a Royal Navy officer who was stationed for a time in the Caribbean. Her mother was an African woman, Maria Bell, whom he met when his ship was on duty there.

By November 1766 Dido was brought to England and entrusted to the care of her father’s uncle William Murray, Lord Chief Justice, and later 1st Earl of Mansfield. He owned Kenwood House in north London.

It was not unheard of for an aristocrat to be the legal guardian to a relation. But it was extremely unusual at this time for a mixed-race woman – who had perhaps been born to an enslaved mother – to be raised by an aristocratic British family.

A portrait of Lady Elizabeth Murray and Dido Belle by David Martin

Life at Kenwood

Dido’s position in Lord Mansfield’s household is not clear, but the evidence suggests she was brought up as a lady rather than as a servant. We know that she was taught to read, write, play music and practise other social skills. She also supervised Kenwood’s dairy and poultry yard – a common hobby for genteel women at the time.

The only known portrait of Dido Belle shows her standing beside her cousin Lady Elizabeth Murray on the terrace at Kenwood. The portrait of the two women is unusual in 18th-century British art for showing a black woman as the near equal of her white companion, rather than as a servant or slave.

The house and grounds at Kenwood in London

Plan your visit

See where Dido lived for yourself by visiting Kenwood on the edge of Hampstead Heath in London. Inside the house are beautifully decorated rooms, which were designed by the famous 18th-century Scottish architect Robert Adam, along with an amazing collection of art. One of the most famous paintings on display is a self-portrait of Dutch artist Rembrandt.

During a visit, you can see the dairy that Dido Belle supervised while living in the household of her great-uncle.

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