History Extra podcast Britain's female slaveowners: the heiresses who made fortunes from enslavement
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Oct 5, 2025 
In this fascinating discussion, historian Miranda Kaufmann, author of "Heiresses: Marriage, Inheritance and Caribbean Slavery," explores the overlooked role of women as slaveowners in Britain. She reveals how Caribbean heiresses married into the aristocracy, bringing immense wealth derived from slavery. Topics include the complexities of female inheritance, the varied involvement of these women with plantations, and personal stories like Betsy Newton's fight for freedom. Kaufmann also draws connections between past heiresses and contemporary issues of inequality.
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Heiresses Brought Vast Slave Wealth To Britain
- Around 150 Caribbean heiresses married into Britain, bringing significant slave-derived wealth into British society.
- Forty percent of compensation claimants after emancipation were women, showing women's major financial stake in slavery.
Inheritance Practices Made Women Key Slaveowners
- Men preferred male heirs but daughters inherited when no suitable male relations existed, making women key heirs in many cases.
- Significant female claimants received large compensations and sometimes portions of enslaved people as investments.
A Heiress Who Managed Slave Purchases
- Some heiresses actively managed plantations from afar and corresponded with agents about buying enslaved people and branding them.
- Frances D'El's letters show her discussing purchases and even what brand to sear onto enslaved people.
