Podcast Summary:

History Extra Podcast
Episode: "Britain's female slaveowners: the heiresses who made fortunes from enslavement"
Date: October 5, 2025
Host: Ellie Cawthorn
Guest: Dr. Miranda Kaufmann, Historian and author of "Heiresses"

Main Theme

This episode explores the overlooked history of British women—often heiresses—who inherited and profited from Caribbean slavery, funnelling immense wealth into British aristocratic society. Historian Miranda Kaufmann discusses her research into these women, how their wealth shaped British culture and class, and the complexities of race, gender, and morality in their stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Inspiration and Scope of the Research

• Miranda Kaufmann began researching female slaveowners when commissioned by English Heritage to investigate links between country houses and slavery or abolition (02:52).
• She focused on women who married into the British aristocracy and brought at least £5,000—often from Caribbean plantations—into Britain (04:01).
• Identified over 150 heiresses fitting this profile, highlighting how widespread the phenomenon was (05:00).

Notable Quote:

"One really startling statistic is that 40% of the claimants, when enslavement came to an end and the government offered compensation... were women."
— Miranda Kaufmann (04:20)

2. Patterns of Inheritance and “Caribbean Heiresses”

• Men typically preferred male inheritance, but lacking sons, they left estates to daughters, nieces or more distant female relations (04:20).
• Wealth often trumped social prejudices in British marriage markets, making these women highly sought after (06:11).
• Despite being 'nouveau riche,' the financial power of these heiresses outweighed concerns over illegitimacy or possible African ancestry (06:11).

3. Connections to Plantations and Enslaved People

• Experiences varied: some women never visited the Caribbean, while others grew up amidst the brutal realities of plantation life (08:09).
  • Example: Mary Ramsey lived in Kingston, Jamaica, for 20 years, likely witnessing violence and the direct consequences of slavery (08:30).
  • Frances DL managed plantations from afar, instructing agents on branding enslaved people and business dealings (09:00).

Notable Quote:

"[Frances DL] is very involved... she's actually even discussing what kind of brand should be seared onto their skin to mark her ownership"
— Miranda Kaufmann (09:00)

4. Tracing the Voices of Enslaved People

• Slave registers from 1817 onward allowed researchers to piece together some family histories (10:49).
• The parallel lives of heiresses and the enslaved are illustrated by the story of Lady Holland and Mrs. Phillis, her wet nurse’s daughter, whose lives diverged dramatically but remained intertwined (11:30).

Notable Quote:

"I have this dream that someone's going to write an opera with their two parallel lives. I can just imagine Lady Holland on one end of the stage and Mrs. Phillis on the other, singing about their shared childhood and then how their lives wildly diverged."
— Miranda Kaufmann (13:10)

5. Remarkable Stories

• Betsey Newton (14:06): Escaped from Newton Plantation, Barbados, to London to seek freedom for her children. Her story revealed literacy among some enslaved families and the importance of legal status in England (14:06–17:20).
• Elizabeth Vassall Fox (Lady Holland) (17:35): Faked her daughter’s death to retain custody after divorce, an act both scandalous and deeply personal, illustrating legal and parental constraints on women in the period (17:35–20:37).

Notable Moment:

“She gets out her guitar case... fills it with stones and a wax mask and sends it to the British Consulate to be buried, because it is, of course, the body of her dead daughter. And then she smuggles Harriet... back to England.”
— Miranda Kaufmann (18:40)

• Frances DL (23:47): Of mixed heritage, legally declared white in Jamaica in 1738 as local laws tried to define who could access rights and privileges. Her life exemplifies the complexities of race, inheritance, and social mobility.

6. Reflections on Morality and Agency

• Most heiresses did not seem to grapple morally with owning enslaved people and prioritized wealth and family interests (28:43).
• When pressed as abolitionist movements grew, excuses ranged from passivity to claims of victimhood by the system.

Notable Quote:

"There really is vanishingly little evidence of any of them seriously examining the ethical situation that they're in... Again, it's the money."
— Miranda Kaufmann (28:43)

7. Jane Austen’s Aunt and Literary Parallels

• Jane Leigh Perrott ("Jenny"), Austen’s aunt, received an inheritance from Caribbean slavery. Her life and letters echo in several contentious or comic Austen characters:
  • Mrs. Allen (Northanger Abbey)
  • Aunt Norris (Mansfield Park)
  • Lady Denham (Sanditon)
• Jenny was arrested for shoplifting lace—a parallel to the petty behaviors of Austen’s fictional relatives (31:09–35:10).

8. Legacies and Contemporary Resonance

• The influx of slave-derived wealth had a long-term impact, shaping the aristocracy and contributing to current inequalities and enduring racism (35:20).
• Kaufmann emphasizes how closely entwined many British family histories are with slavery, even personally connecting her research to her own genealogy (36:21–38:37).

Notable Quote:

"If you look at most families that were at a certain level in Society in the 18th century, there is some kind of connection to enslavement or colonialism somewhere in that story."
— Miranda Kaufmann (36:32)

Memorable Quotes and Timestamps

• On female inheritance:
  “One really startling statistic is that 40% of the claimants... were women.” (04:20)

• On agency:
  “Frances DL... is actually even discussing what kind of brand should be seared onto their skin to mark her ownership.” (09:00)

• On narrative possibilities:
  “I have this dream that someone's going to write an opera with their two parallel lives...” (13:10)

• On moral self-reflection:
  “There really is vanishingly little evidence of any of them seriously examining the ethical situation...” (28:43)

• On enduring legacy:
  "You can clearly draw the line of descent from this history of enslavement to the problems we still face with racism in our society today." (35:20)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Story | |-----------|---------------------------------------------| | 01:58–02:52 | Episode/Book Introduction | | 02:52–04:01 | Origins of research, initial findings | | 04:01–06:02 | Patterns of female inheritance | | 06:02–08:09 | Social attitudes toward “Caribbean heiresses”| | 08:09–10:20 | Personal connections to plantations | | 10:20–13:55 | Tracing enslaved voices, Lady Holland/Phillis| | 13:55–17:20 | The story of Betsey Newton | | 17:35–20:37 | Elizabeth Vassall Fox fakes daughter’s death| | 23:23–26:48 | Frances DL and the invention of ‘whiteness’ | | 28:43 | Heiresses’ moral perspectives | | 31:09–35:10 | Jane Leigh Perrott and Austenian echoes | | 35:20–36:21 | Legacies and contemporary relevance | | 36:21–38:37 | Kaufmann’s personal family connections |

Conclusion

This episode offers a revelatory view of how British women actively participated in, profited from, and perpetuated Caribbean slavery, transporting vast privilege into the heart of the British elite. Miranda Kaufmann's research adds nuance to our understanding of Britain’s past and underlines slavery’s persistent implications for society and culture today.