Photo: Thomalind Martin Polite, living descendant of Priscilla, a girl enslaved in Sierra Leone in 1756 and brought to South Carolina.
by Windy Goodloe, Secretary, Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association
During Black History Month, FambulTik, which is known for leading African Heritage Tours, facilitated one of the most emotional and necessary Zooms for those who attended. Titled “Priscilla’s Legacy”, this meeting detailed the story of Priscilla and her descendants. What we witnessed was described by FambulTik as a “powerful tale of connection, resilience, and the enduring impact of the transatlantic slave trade.” And it surely was. Following the presentation, there was not a dry eye in the house.
In 1756, a 10-year-old Sierra Leonian girl was stolen and forced onto a slave ship called the Hare. That ship was bound for the not-yet-established United States. Upon her arrival in the Lowcountry Region of the United States, she was renamed Priscilla (Her real name has been lost to history). She endured fifty-five years of slavery.
Caleb Godfrey, who was the captain of the Hare, purchased the young girl in early 1756. The Hare departed from Sierra Leone on April 9, 1756, headed for Charleston, South Carolina. Following the harrowing 10-week sea voyage, the ship arrived at its intended destination. Henry Laurens, who was slave dealer, sold the newly arrived Africans. Elias Ball, who was a wealthy planter, purchased Priscilla and four other children. They would be given “American” names and be enslaved on his Comingtee Plantation, which was located near Charleston.
Interestingly, the Ball family kept impeccable records pertaining to those they had enslaved. So it was recorded that Priscilla married a man named Jeffrey, with whom she had ten children. It was also recorded that Priscilla died in 1811 at the age of 65.
Edward Ball, a descendant of Elias and Isaac Ball and a writer, and Joseph Opala, a professor and anthropologist, researched Priscilla’s story. They also traced her lineage through seven generations until they found Thomalind Martin Polite and her family.
Edward Ball wrote Slaves in the Family, which won a National Book Award. In the book, Mr. Ball details the lives of the Ball family as slave owners and his journey as he researched and tracked down descendants of the people who were enslaved by his family.
Upon the discovery of Priscilla’s living descendants, a trip to return home to Sierra Leone was planned. In May of 2005, Thomalind and her husband Antawn returned to Sierra Leone. They were there for seven days. Each day was filled with diplomatic meetings and cultural exchanges. And the whole time that she was there, Thomalind was called “Priscilla.”
Almost 250 years after she had been stolen from her homeland, one of Priscilla’s descendants was able to return home, and she was greeted with open arms because they had been waiting for her.
If you would like to watch the video, just search “Priscilla’s Legacy – Zoom Meeting” on YouTube. It is on FambulTik – Leading African Heritage Tours’s YouTube channel.
