3. Belle Had Many Responsibilities While Living at Kenwood
While Belle was treated as part of the family and reportedly had a stable relationship with the Murray’s, especially Lord Mansfield, she also held a very unusual role in the house. While historians are not entirely sure if Belle was technically a slave during her time in Kenwood, though Lord Mansfield’s will supports she was still a slave, historians do note that Belle had many responsibilities in the home. As Thomas Hutchinson stated in his diary, Lord Mansfield would often turn to Belle for several household duties. However, there are also records that she was paid.
As Belle got older, she started running Kenwood’s dairy farm and the poultry yard. On top of this, she was also secretary to Lord Mansfield, which was very rare for a woman, as usual, this was a man’s job. Then, after Lord Mansfield’s wife passed away, Belle continued to live in Kenwood where she not only took care of many daily duties but also Lord Mansfield in his declining health. For example, it is reported that Lord Mansfield suffered from rheumatism, so Belle would often read the newspaper to him in the mornings.