#dido lindsay

[where-our-stories-start]

Belle (2013)

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Dido Elizabeth Belle

Dido Eizabeth Belle (from 1761 to 1804) was the illegitimate daughter of Sir John Lindsay, a Royal Navy officer and a nephew of the 1st Earl of Mansfield. Her mother was Maria, an enslaved African whom Sir John met whilst his ship was in the Caribbean.

Sir John acknowledged Dido as his child and, from the 1760s she grew up in Lord Mansfield's household with her cousin, Lady Elizabeth Murray at Kenwood House, Hampstead, London.

Dido was educated and literate. As well as overseeing the running of the dairy at Kenwood, she helped Lord Mansfield with his legal correspondence. A visitor to the house commented that Dido's great-uncle "called upon (her)…every minute for this and that, and showed the greatest attention to everything she said".

By comparing the annual allowance Dido received it is clear that within the household her status was higher than that of a servant but generally below that of the rest of the family.

As Lord Chief Justice, Lord Mansfield presided over some of the most historic cases involving enslaved Africans whose status in English law was uncertain. When he died he was careful to confirm in his will that Dido was a free woman. He also left her £500 and an annual allowance of £100.

In 1793 Dido married John Davinier, a steward (a senior servant). They had three sons and lived in Pimlico until her death, aged 43.

https://historicengland.org.uk/research/inclusive-heritage/the-slave-trade-and-abolition/sites-of-memory/black-lives-in-england/working-lives/

[little-desi-historian]

Black Historical Figures I think are cool af!

Happy Black History Month! Below the cut you’ll find a list of 10 black historical figures I think are super cool (and often overlooked in favour of their white/non-black counterparts) all of the figures are inspirational to me in some way and I think anyone can learn from their examples, regardless of race.

Dido Elizabeth Belle aka Dido Belle Lindsay - staying the course of your beliefs, knowing you deserve better. Knowing what’s right is more than possible.

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George(s) - don’t let anyone take your talents and passions from you. Those who treat you wrong don’t deserve you.

Phillis Weatly/Phyllis Weatly - no matter what you’ve been subjected to, don’t let anyone take your voice from you.

James Armistead Lafayette - fight (spy) for what you believe in. You may turn out to be the most powerful piece in the fight.

Harriet Tubman - no matter the evils of the world, there are good people out there, don’t forget your strengths and allies.

Freda Josephine Baker (née McDonald) best known simply as Josephine Baker - dance and keep dancing, no matter how bad things are. You only live once.

Bessie Coleman - pursue your dreams no matter who tells you that you can’t. You may match them in renown yet.

Gladys Bentley - wear what you want, speak how you want, and love whomever you choose.

Martha P. Johnson - be here, be queer, and speak truth to power.

Maya Angelou born Marguerite Annie Johnson - write, write, write, oh… and don’t fear life.

[nanshe-of-nina]

YouTube GIFs || Crows’ Eye Productions: Getting Dressed in the 18th Century — Dido Elizabeth Belle (1779)

In the later 18th century, two young women grew up together at Kenwood House, near London. Such was the affection in which the two young women were held, that their uncle, Lord Mansfield, commissioned a joint portrait of them from the accomplished Scottish portraitist, David Martin. Dido Belle and Lady Elizabeth Murray came into the care of Lord and Lady Mansfield when they were both very young; Elizabeth after the death of her mother and Dido at the request of her father, Captain John Lindsay.

… Dido was born in England. Her father, Maria Belle, was an enslaved African woman who had become the mistress of Captain Lindsay. Her mother’s history remains uncertain, but Dido and Elizabeth were cousins and they were cared for, educated, and loved equally by Lord and Lady Mansfield. … Dido Belle, loved and respected by her uncle, Lord Chief Justice Mansfield whose rulings in cases of slavery paved the way for abolition, may be more important than we can ever know.

[aro-pancake]

Tag game time! \o/

Was tagged by @therealgchu

fun tag game: shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist and list the first 10 songs that play, then tag 10 people.

1- Wicked Symphony, Avantasia

2- How You Remind Me, Nickelback

3- Sweet Dreams, Eurythmics

4- Last One Standing, Skylar Grey(from the 2nd Venom movie)

5- Melissa, PornoGraffitty

6- Skyrim, Age of Aggression, cover by Jeff Winner (found it randomly one day)

7- Slide, Dido

8- Without You, Avicii (rip)

9- Guren no Yumiya (I think I got it right...), Linked Horizon

10- Skyrim Main Theme, cover by Peter Hollens and Lindsay Stirling.

Gotta tag...

@atonalginger, @eridanidreams, @silurisanguine, @fangbangerghoul, @order-of-the-eye, @spookyspecterino, @brasideios, @aislingdmdt, @lisa-and-shadow and @staticpallour

[247reader]

Day 19: Dido Elizabeth Belle!

Dido Elizabeth Belle was born in 1761, the daughter of an enslaved teenager, Maria Belle, and an English naval officer, Sir John Lindsay. Lindsay sent Dido to live with his uncle, the Earl of Mansfield; this separated her from her mother, who Lindsay would not free until 1774. Unusually for any illegitimate child, let alone a mixed-race one, Dido was raised and educated alongside her legitimate second cousin, Lady Elizabeth Murray, a motherless heiress who had also been given to the Earl and his wife to raise. She had her portrait painted alongside Lady Elizabeth, Dido slightly behind her cousin but both girls in silk and jewelry.

Dido did not, however, attend balls or most social gatherings alongside her cousin, and it was unclear what kind of a future lay ahead of her - indeed, a few visitors falsely assumed she was her great-uncle’s mistress. In fact, as he grew older and more feeble, she became his clerk, helping him manage both the household and his correspondence… and likely influencing his growing legal opposition to slavery.

Her father left Dido nothing in his will, but the Earl granted her both a bequest and an annuity. Soon after, she married John Davinier, a French-born valet. The couple had three sons, who Dido ensured were well-educated; one, Charles, became an army officer, moving firmly into gentry circles. She died in 1804.

[cinematic-phosphenes]

Portrait of Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay and Lady Elizabeth Murray (c. 1778) by David Martin

(x)

[beasanfi1997]

In french version, Jamie Fraser from Outlander and John Davinier, the husband of Dido Belle Lindsay, were both dubbed by Nicolas Matthys and because Jamie reveals at the audience that Seladon(Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Tavra(Caitriona Balfe) are Kira's aunt from Dark Crystal

[bluerosesdiary]

belle (2013) dir. amma asante

watched: 03/06/2023

my rating: 5/10

#67 movie watched in 2023

"The biracial daughter, Dido Elizabeth Belle, of Royal Navy Captain Sir John Lindsay is raised by aristocratic Great-uncle Lord William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield in 18th century England." via. IMDb

[teach463146]

Belle (2013) (BBC4, 9.00pm)

Captain Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode) brings his illegitimate, mixed-race daughter Dido (Lauren Julien-Box) to England and entrusts the child to his aristocratic uncle, Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson). He permits Dido to stay, allowing his great-niece to become a companion to her cousin, Elizabeth (Cara Jenkins). As Dido (now played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw) reaches adulthood, she is afforded certain privileges by her lineage but must remain behind closed doors at important social gatherings. However, her head is turned by idealistic lawyer John Davinier (Sam Reid), who is involved in a high-profile case involving a slave ship. Belle is the enchanting dramatisation of a true story of fortitude across racial and class divides. The ensemble cast delivers excellent performances, particularly Mbatha-Raw.

[al-hekima-art-astro]

Dido Elizabeth Belle and her cousin Elizabeth Murray (1776)

Dido Belle (1761-1806). The illegitimate daughter of a british aristocrat Sir John Lindsay and an enslaved african woman Maria Belle. Her position was ambiguous in her household. I would like to think that she received some love hence this portrait in almost equal position to her cousin. We know she was educated and literate. But it was clear that her everyday life might have been paved with everyday tiny humiliation due to the racist system of her time which will keep remind her that because of her skin tone and her bastard position she was still not totally one of them.

[allthingsgeorgian]

Dido Elizabeth Belle’s half-sister, Elizabeth Lindsay

Research continues into the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle, daughter of Sir John Lindsay, yet to date only a limited amount of information is widely known today about the life of his other illegitimate daughter, and half-sister to Dido, named Elizabeth (known as Eliza) Lindsay aka Palmer, as to a large extent she seems to have been written out of history. However, it would be Elizabeth and her…

[lboogie1906]

Dido Elizabeth Belle (June 1761 - 1804) is known for the 1779 painting of her alongside her cousin, Lady Elizabeth Murray, the great-niece of William Murray, The First Earl of Mansfield. Her father, John Lindsay, was a young British naval officer and nephew of Lord Mansfield, while her mother, whose name is believed to be Maria Bell, was a slave in the West Indies. Upon the death of Maria Bell, John Lindsay in 1766 requested that she be entrusted to his uncle, Lord Mansfield, who was raising his young great-niece, Elizabeth Murray, due to her mother passing and her father’s serving the Crown as an ambassador first to Austria and later to France. The addition of Belle to Lord Mansfield’s household provided Elizabeth Murray with a playmate. Her role in the household seemed to have been as Elizabeth’s lady’s companion rather than her lady’s maid. While in the household she received an education and an annual allowance of £30, several times the wages of a domestic servant. As an adult she managed the estate’s dairy and poultry yards and helped Lord Mansfield with his correspondence, a task normally assigned a male secretary or clerk. She spent nearly three decades at Kenwood House, the home of the Murray family. The best insight into Belle’s life with Lord Mansfield comes from Thomas Hutchinson who visited Kenwood House in 1779. While dining with Mansfield, Hutchinson was surprised to see her, a woman of black ancestry, sitting with the ladies drinking coffee and going on a walk with her arm locked with another woman. An American guest reported, however, that Belle was not allowed to dine with the family. Little is known about the remainder of her life. She benefited from small inheritances left by Lord and Lady Mansfield. She did not receive an inheritance from her father, Sir John Lindsay, who died an Admiral in the British Navy. On December 5, 1793 she married John Davinier, a French gentleman’s steward. The couple had three children, twins Charles and John, baptized in 1795, and William Thomas, baptized in 1802. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CeYowfbrscTiTjHRHP2T9qljRbBsEHdLKbWGws0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lavellenchanted]

Belle (2013) directed by Amma Asante

[leighlim]

Whoa....Matthew really did well in this scene! One of the best examples of how to hit the right emotional beats!

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(Hopefully by this point you’ve finished watching ‘Belle’, the kind of person who isn’t bothered by spoilers, or are just deciding if you still want to keep watching.)

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After a loooooong...long wait...I finally got to watch the film with captions! I noticed that the On Demand title on SBS doesn't have captions...which is odd (maybe in a couple of days...they'll load it?). Every time I spot this in the TV guide...I instantly get it onto the DVR and of course...I'd be disappointed that there wasn't captions. This one was different though...as I noticed that there was Audio description...

...and of course...I hoped that it also meant that it included captions!!!! Glad I took a chance...even the DVR was filling up again (I'm down to 1 hour of space! So...I'll have to frantically delete!!!)

I did not expect how watchable this would be. I mean...maybe because I was lucky that my first Gugu film was 'Miss Sloane'? There are definitely other roles that she wasn't able to stretch.

Plus Tom! Wow! Come on....he was also killing it!!!

PS: The English so scandalised when it's revealed that their kids speak French (or at least show off their French fluency)!

PPS: It's a shame that we don't see Gugu and Matthew have a scene together...that would have been really interesting to see how capable Matthew is (which I know he is!).

PPPS: I did not expect the number of times I found certain scenes and dialogue funny! Was expecting really...dramatic moments (which there are...but at least it's not...well...the kind that I need to pick myself up sobbing on the floor...or having gone through a mountain of tissue like 'Beautiful Boy'

PPPPS: I considered cutting off the highlight 'Screen To Script' right when John says: "It's about all of us. It's about everything. Everything that's important." --- but then decided to go until the scene finishes as it's a reminder that sometimes...we have made an impact...but it isn't obvious that we have.

-------- HIGHLIGHT:

EXT. HOUSE OF COMMONS - DAY

JOHN catches up to LORD MANSFIELD as he approaches his carriage.

JOHN

M'lord if you find for the traders you would be formalising the law of the concept of insuring human cargo.

LORD MANSFIELD gives JOHN a glance, takes off his hat---

LORD MANSFIELD

That's correct.

---- puts his hat on the seat, turns to the chauffer ---

LORD MANSFIELD

Drive.

--- then climbs into the carriage.

The driver closes the door and goes to take his place. JOHN steps closer.

JOHN

Then know when you are gone, your legacy would have left Miss Lidnsay in a world worth more dead than alive.

The carriage starts moving.

LORD MANSFIELD

Miss Lindsay is not a slave.

JOHN starts walking to keep up.

JOHN

By the very grace of God!

LORD MANSFIELD gives the roof two knocks and the carriage stops.

LORD MANSFIELD

This is not about Miss Lindsay.

JOHN

Of course it is.

The nobleman stares back, seemingly stoically. But those eyes are drawn to fellow human equally as passionate about justice. A human teetering between anger and tears.

JOHN

It's about all of us. It's about everything. Everything that's important.

The father looks into the eyes of this young man intently. Searching. Clearly moved.

JOHN just stares back. Earnest.

LORD MANSFIELD breaks it. A small smile escapes as he considers what's been said.

LORD MANSFIELD

Mr. Davinier...

He stares at the youngster dead in the eye.

LORD MANSFIELD

...The world is a devastating place. You must learn to protect your emotions if you wish to prevent both matter of the law and love from devastating you.

JOHN casts his eyes down. Defeated. -------- My verdict of the film: 7/10 Link to the timestamp commentary: I was tempted to do one as I had a couple of reactions but then decided to just watch the whole way through (I'll put one up if there are requests for it! A Formal Review: None More of my comments about the film: None Instagram Entries: TBA? (Maybe? Maybe not?)