A new exhibition will open the eyes of a new generation to the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed-race daughter of a slave and a British admiral.
The young woman, who spent part of her early life in Perthshire, played a little-known role in the abolition of international slavery.
Her story is being told at Scone Palace and through a new feature film, Belle, which has its UK release on June 13.
The connection between the film and the exhibition, Dido Belle: Her Story, is that the only portrait representation of Dido Belle known to exist hangs in the Ambassador’s Room at Scone Palace.
Dido Elizabeth Belle was born in the 18th Century to Sir John Lindsay, nephew of the 1st Earl of Mansfield, and the African slave Maria Belle.
She was brought up under the care and protection of the 1st Earl of Mansfield, who was the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and whose family home was at Scone Palace.
In 1772, the Earl of Mansfield ruled that no slave could be taken from England or Wales under force, saying: “The state of slavery is of such a nature and so odious that nothing can be suffered to support it”.
This judgement is now viewed as a crucial early step towards the international abolition of slavery.
The 1st Earl of Mansfield was educated at Perth Grammar School and his successors are the owners of Scone Palace and Mansfield Estates.
The exhibition at Scone will include interpretive panels that explore Belle’s lineage and family tree, and provide background on her father Sir John Lindsay’s illustrious naval career, which saw him serve in a number of wars, campaigns and survey voyages that were crucial to the rise of the British Empire.
A central focus of the exhibition will be the 1779 portrait attributed to the German painter Johann Zoffany, which depicts Dido Elizabeth Belle and her cousin, the Lady Elizabeth Murray.
The exhibition will also tell the story of Scotland’s connections with the slave trade, highlighting how, after the 1745 Jacobite rebellion, many defeated Jacobites fled to the West Indies to become slave masters in plantations.
The Honourable William Murray, Master of Stormont, who carried out much of the historical research for the exhibition, said: “We are delighted to be launching this exciting new exhibition to coincide with the release of the film Belle.
“We hope the exhibition will provide fans of the film and visitors to Scone Palace with a fascinating glimpse into the life and times of Belle and her family, as well as a unique insight into the rich history of the period”.