The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave

Prince begins narrating her origins. She was born on a farm in Bermuda to two enslaved parents. Her mother did household work, and her father was a sawyer—a person who saws timber. When she was an infant, Prince and her mother were sold to Captain Darrel to labor for his granddaughter, Betsey Williams. Betsey’s father, Captain Williams, was Captain Darrel’s son-in-law. Prince and Betsey were about the same age. Before Prince was old enough to understand her situation, she was happy. While they were there, Prince’s mother had more children, all of whom did light work and played often with Betsey as well. While Mrs. Williams was kind, Captain Williams treated her and everyone else harshly when he was home. Prince loved Mrs. Williams very much.

Facing financial difficulty, Mrs. Williams eventually hired Prince out to Mrs. Pruden. Prince was distraught to be leaving her family, Betsey, and Mrs. Williams, but she had no choice. Prince’s new responsibility was to nurse a baby named Daniel. Daniel’s siblings were James and Fanny, the latter of whom Prince particularly liked. As Fanny learned how to read, she also taught Prince. Shortly after this period, Mrs. Williams died; Prince was very sorrowful over her death.