Rachel Pringle Polgreen

RACHEL PRINGLE POLGREEN THE FREED SLAVE TURNED SLAVE OWNER

Rachel Pringle Polgreen (1753-1791) was an Afro-Barbadian freed slave and self-made hotelier, who owned a

brothel in Bridgetown, Barbados. 15 Born to William Lauder and his unnamed slave, Pringle Polgreen’s early years were marked by abuse at the hands of Lauder, who attempted to control her chastity. When Lauder demanded Polgreen be punished for her unwielding attitude, Joseph Rachell, a prominent merchant, purchased Polgreen and brought her to safety. As the wife of Joseph Rachell, Polgreen was routinely exposed to the mercantile life,

which gave her access to various business opportunities. Not long after their marriage, Rachell purchased a house for Polgreen, which eventually became the base for her hotelier and brothel pursuits. 16 Polgreen illustrates the potential for freed slaves, particularly freed women of colour to regain agency over their own narratives.

According to Barbados historian Pedro Welsh, Polgreen exemplifies resistance, noting that her presence among white society speaks to the subversive nature of her own narrative. Mercantile efforts offered the most success for freed women of colour like Polgreen in this era. Polgreen gained her freedom, became a slaveowner herself, and

ran one of the most successful brothels on record in Barbados. Unusual for her time, Polgreen had a will. 17 This is a reflection of her wealth. Polgreen’s mobility and success as a businesswoman illustrate that she frequently broke the stereotype of the enslaved woman. The privilege of owning slaves and advancing her own economic status through her hotelier efforts demonstrate the ways that Polgreen worked to overcome violence committed on the black female body in Caribbean social structure. Documents and pictorial representations of Polgreen in the historical record are evidence of the way she reclaimed power and agency over her own narrative.