Madeleine's Children : Family, Freedom, Secrets, and Lies in France's Indian Ocean Colonies

This book explores the hidden history of a family in slavery and freedom in the Indian Ocean empires of France and Britain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A tale of legal intrigue, this biography uncovers the family lives of slaves and free people in two islands, Réunion (Isle Bourbon) and Mauritius (Isle de France). Madeleine, a girl from Bengal, entered the service of a French mistress in Chandernagor in the 1750s and accompanied her to France, where she became the slave of a planter couple who brought her to Isle Bourbon. Madeleine’s three children — Maurice, Constance, and Furcy — survived monsoons, famine, and the French Revolution. At the heart of the story is Furcy’s legal struggle to free himself from his putative master, Joseph Lory, a case that was ultimately decided by the Royale Court (Cour royale) of Paris in 1843. A meticulous work of archival detective work, Madeleine’s Children investigates the cunning, clandestine, and brutal strategies that masters devised to keep slaves under their control while painting a vivid picture of the unique and evolving meanings of slavery and freedom in the Indian Ocean world. In 1759 A Baby Girl Was Born To An Impoverished Family On The Indian Subcontinent. Her Parents Pawned Her Into Bondage As A Way To Survive Famine. A Portuguese Slaver Sold The Girl To A Pious French Spinster In Bengal, Where She Was Baptized As Madeleine. Eventually She Was Taken To France By Way Of Ile De France (mauritius), And From There To Ile Bourbon (reunion), Where She Worked On The Plantation Of The Routier Family And Gave Birth To Three Children: Maurice, Constance, And Furcy. Following The Master's Death In 1787, Madame Routier Registered Madeleine's Manumission, Making Her Free On Paper And Thus Exempting The Routiers From Paying The Annual Head Tax On Slaves. However, According To Madeleine's Children, She Was Never Told That She Was Free. She Continued To Serve The Widow Routier For Another Nineteen Years, Through The Revolution, France's General Emancipation Of 1794 (which The Colonists Of The Indian Ocean Successfully Repelled), The Napoleonic Restoration Of Slavery, And British Occupation Of France's Indian Ocean Colonies. Not Until The Widow Routier Died In 1808 Did Madeleine Learn Of Her Freedom And That The Routier Estate Owed Her Nineteen Years Of Back Wages.0madeleine Tried To Use The Routiers' Debt To Negotiate For Her Son Furcy's Freedom From Joseph Lory, The Routiers' Son-in-law And Heir, But Lory Tricked The Illiterate Madeleine Into Signing Papers That, In Essence, Consigned Furcy To Lory As His Slave For Life. Introduction : I Am Furcy -- Madeleine : A Child Slave In Pre-colonial India -- Crossings : Oceans, Islands, Race, And Free Soil -- Madeleine's Children : Family Secrets -- Revolution : Emancipation Without Freedom -- The Limits Of Law : Madeleine's Betrayal -- A Perfect Storm -- Incendiary Arguments, Justice Suspended -- English Liberties -- Freedom Papers Hidden In His Shoe -- Damages And Interest -- Afterword. Sue Peabody. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Madeleine's Children uncovers a multigenerational saga of an enslaved family in India and two islands, Réunion and Mauritius, in the eastern empires of France and Britain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A tale of legal intrigue, it reveals the lives and secret relationships between slaves and free people that have remained obscure for two centuries. As a child, Madeleine was pawned by her impoverished family and became the slave of a French woman in Bengal. She accompanied her mistress to France as a teenager, but she did not challenge her enslavement there on the basis of France's Free Soil principle, a consideration that did not come to light until future lawyers investigated her story. In France, a new master and mistress purchased her, despite laws prohibiting the sale of slaves within the kingdom. The couple transported Madeleine across the ocean to their plantation in the Indian Ocean colonies, where she eventually gave birth to three children: Maurice, Constance, and Furcy. One died a slave and two eventually became free, but under very different circumstances. On 21 November 1817, Furcy exited the gates of his master's mansion and declared himself a free man. The lawsuit waged by Furcy to challenge his wrongful enslavement ultimately brought him before the Royal Court of Paris, despite the extreme measures that his putative master, Joseph Lory, deployed to retain him as his slave. A meticulous work of archival detection, Madeleine's Children investigates the cunning, clandestine, and brutal strategies that masters devised to keep slaves under their control-and paints a vivid picture of the unique and evolving meanings of slavery and freedom in the Indian Ocean world. In 1759 a baby girl was born to an impoverished family on the Indian subcontinent. Her parents pawned her into bondage as a way to survive famine. A Portuguese slaver sold the girl to a pious French spinster in Bengal, where she was baptized as Madeleine. Eventually she was taken to France by way of Ile de France (Mauritius), and from there to Ile Bourbon (Reunion), where she worked on the plantation of the Routier family and gave birth to three children: Maurice, Constance, and Furcy. Following the master's death in 1787, Madame Routier registered Madeleine's manumission, making her free on paper and thus exempting the Routiers from paying the annual head tax on slaves. However, according to Madeleine's children, she was never told that she was free. She continued to serve the widow Routier for another nineteen years, through the Revolution, France's general emancipation of 1794 (which the colonists of the Indian Ocean successfully repelled), the Napoleonic restoration of slavery, and British occupation of France's Indian Ocean colonies. Not until the widow Routier died in 1808 did Madeleine learn of her freedom and that the Routier estate owed her nineteen years of back wages. Madeleine tried to use the Routiers' debt to negotiate for her son Furcy's freedom from Joseph Lory, the Routiers' son-in-law and heir, but Lory tricked the illiterate Madeleine into signing papers that, in essence, consigned Furcy to Lory as his slave for life This is a multi-generational saga of an enslaved family in India and two islands, Runion and Mauritius, in the eastern empires of France and Britain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A tale of legal intrigue, it reveals the lives and secret relationships between slaves and free people that have remained obscure for two centuries. A meticulous work of archival detection, Madeleine's Children investigates the cunning, clandestine, and brutal strategies that masters devised to keep slaves under their control-and paints a vivid picture of the unique and evolving meanings of slavery and freedom in the Indian Ocean world. This is a multi-generational saga of an enslaved family in India and two islands, Réunion and Mauritius, in the eastern empires of France and Britain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A tale of legal intrigue, it reveals the lives and secret relationships between slaves and free people that have remained obscure for two centuries. A meticulous work of archival detection, Madeleine's Children investigates the cunning, clandestine, and brutal strategies that masters devised to keep slaves under their control-and paints a vivid picture of the unique and evolving meanings of slavery and freedom in the Indian Ocean world. Cover 1 Madeleine’s Children 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Note on Currency, Measurements, and Place Names 14 Introduction: I Am Furcy 20 1 Madeleine: A Child Slave in Precolonial India 30 2 Crossings: Oceans, Islands, Race, and Free Soil 46 3 Family Secrets: Maurice, Constance, and Furcy 68 4 The Revolution: Emancipation without Freedom 85 5 The Limits of Law: Madeleine’s Betrayal 106 6 A Perfect Storm 120 7 Incendiary Arguments, Justice Suspended 137 8 English Liberties 155 9 Freedom Papers Hidden in His Shoe 176 10 Damages and Interest 194 Afterword: Remembering Furcy 214 Abbreviations 220 Notes 222 Index 328 A gripping microhistory/legal case involving two generations of a French family enslaved in the Indian Ocean colonies.