Fenda Lawrence (1742Hassoum Ceesay: Gambian women: an introductory history. 1. Auflage. Fulladu Publishers, Gambia 2007 – after 1780), was an African

slave trader The history of slavery spans many cultures, nationalities, and religions from ancient times to the present day. Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The social, economic, and legal positions of e ...

who operated in the

Saloum The Kingdom of Saloum (Serer language: ''Saluum'' or ''Saalum'') was a Serer/ Wolof kingdom in present-day Senegal. Its kings may have been of Mandinka/Kaabu origin. The capital of Saloum was the city of Kahone. It was a sister kingdom of Si ...

town of Kaur. In 1772 she visited the

Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th cent ...

as a free black woman for both tourism and to trade.

Biography

Fenda Lawrence lived in

pre-colonial Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

Gambia near the

Gambia river The Gambia River (formerly known as the River Gambra) is a major river in West Africa, running from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul. It is navigabl ...

during the mid-18th century. While there, she acted as a go-between for the British and French traders and the local Africans. This was a position afforded to her by marriage to an Englishman. Lawrence worked out of the

town of Kaur. In 1772, Lawrence visited the

of America as a tourist with some business interests. By this point, she had already separated from her English partner. Arriving on the ship ''New Britannia'', Lawrence took five personal slaves with her. It first arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, after 36 days of sailing. Lawrence was then accompanied by the Captain of the vessel, Stephen Deane, to

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. She was issued a document from the state proclaiming that she was "a free black woman and heretofore a considerable trader in the River Gambia on the coast of Africa, hath voluntarily came to be and remain for some time in this province". Lawrence would have been a native speaker of Wolof, but in order to trade in Georgia, would have spoken Creole. Deane requested permission on behalf of Lawrence for her to settle permanently in Georgia. Deane stated that he had known Lawrence for seven or eight years, and stated that specifically James Lawrence, her son, should be allowed to stay. In Robert Davis' article for ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly'', her proposes that Fenda Lawrence was the mother of at least one if not more of Deane's children. He states that Deane's son David Laurence was certainly also the son of Lawrence.

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References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Fenda 18th-century businesswomen African slave traders History of the Gambia 18th-century African businesspeople Women slave owners

Biography

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References