Grave of Rasselas Bellfield, St Martin’s Churchyard, Bowness on Windermere, Cumbria, UK - on Waymarking.com

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 Grave of Rasselas Bellfield, St Martin’s Churchyard, Bowness on Windermere, Cumbria, UK - posted by Outspoken1

The tomb of Rasselas Belfield lies just outside the East window of St Martin’s Church. The inscription reads

IN MEMORY
of
RASSELAS BELFIELD
a Native of
ABYSSINIA.
Who departed this Life on the
16. Day of January 1822,
Aged 32 Years.
A Slave by birth I left my native Land
And found my Freedom on Britannia's Strand:
Blest Isle! Thou Glory of the Wise and Free,
Thy Touch alone unbinds the Chains of Slavery

The inscription is believed to have been written by local poet Isabella Lickbarrow, an ardent abolitionist.

Rasselas Bellfield was brought to England by a Major Peter Taylor, having been bought from his mother for £5. He was baptised on 17th April 1803, at the age of 13, at Bowness on Windermere.

The Taylor family home was Belfield on the shores of Windermere, giving rise to Rasselas Belfield’s surname. His first name is believed to have derived from the novel by Samuel Johnson – “The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia”. Rasselas was Major Peter’s valet and was apparently well thought of in the community. Indeed the quality of the headstone on the grave indicates the status of Rasselas. Further, the Taylor family had known the abolitionist William Wilberforce, having rented Rayrigg Hall to Wilberforce between 1780 and 1788.

Ironically, at the West side of St Martins church can be found the vault of John Bolton (N54 21.842 W002 55.271). John Bolton had been a slave trader and plantation owner who retired to Storrs Hall, nearby.

For a fuller description of Rasselas Belfield see

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