Cornish Women in the Caribbean from the 17th to the 19th Centuries

Appleby examines the lives of the Cornish women who went to the Caribbean colonies, filling a gap in the literature of the Cornish diaspora which previously focused on the male-dominated mining industry in the USA, Australia, and South Africa.

“Cornwall has for centuries been the source of migrants to all parts of the world. This has generated a broad literature on Cornish emigration and the Cornish abroad, much of it concentrated on the better-known destinations of the USA, Australia, and South Africa; related to the international mining industry of the 19th century; and dominated by men and their stories. Appleby breaks the mould by examining the lives of female indentured servants, wives of mariners, miners, and missionaries, and ‘ladies of quality’, who, for many different reasons, spent time in the Caribbean. There has been a gathering tide of research and literature into the lives of Cornish women in recent years but, so far, less work has concentrated on the women of the Cornish diaspora, so this new book is a very welcome addition to that literature.”

Dr Lesley Trotter, Honorary Research Fellow, Institute of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter.

Wives - Mothers - Daughters - Widows is the first book to examine the lives of Cornish women who left their homes to spend time in the Caribbean colonies.