‘Mary Prince’ Commemorative Stamp Issue
The Bermuda Post Office [BPO] announced the latest commemorative stamp issue ~ “Mary Prince”.
A Government spokesperson said, “In keeping with this month’s Emancipation observations, the Bermuda Post Office [BPO] is pleased to advise of the latest commemorative stamp issue ~ ‘Mary Prince’. This newest stamp series features imagery and renditions of Bermuda’s National Hero Mary Prince.
“As outlined by the Liner Notes: Mary Prince was a Bermudian woman born into slavery at Brackish Pond, now known as Devonshire Marsh in Devonshire Parish, Bermuda. Her parents were both enslaved: her father – whose only given name was Prince – was a sawyer held in bondage by David Trimingham; her mother – was a house servant held in bondage by Charles Myners.
“When Myners died in 1788, Mary Prince and her mother were sold as household servants to Captain Darrell, who gifted Mary to his granddaughter, Betsey Williams. When she was 12, Mary Prince was sold for 38 pounds sterling to Captain John Ingham of Spanish Point. She was subjected to the many indignities of enslavement.
“Her autobiography, ‘The History of Mary Prince’, published in 1831, was the first account of the life of a Black woman to be published in the United Kingdom. A first-hand description of the brutalities of enslavement, released at a time when slavery was still legal in the British Caribbean colonies and Bermuda, it had a galvanising effect on the anti-slavery movement.
“It also led to two libel cases at which Mary Prince had to testify. As a personal account, Mary Prince’s story contributed to the debate about slavery in a manner different from reasoned analysis or statistical arguments. It was direct and authentic. Mary Prince spoke of slavery with the authority of personal experience. Mary Prince is known to have remained in England until at least 1833 – the year that the British Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act.
“The public is encouraged to embrace this piece of history by purchasing the Mary Prince Commemorative Stamp Series. The stamps are available for purchase from the Bermuda Post Office or any sub-post office. Commemorative Stamp orders can also be made online at philatelic.bermudapost.bm.”
The liner notes follow below [PDF here]:
