The Duchess of Queensberry and Soubise, 1773 (engraving)

Collectanea: or, A collection of advertisements and paragraphs from the newspapers, relating to various subjects Author: Lysons, Daniel / London, 1660-1825 Source/Shelfmark: C.191.c.15 volume 1, opposite page 350 Julius Soubise (1754 - 25 August 1798) was a freed Afro-Caribbean slave who became a well-known fop in 1760s/1770s Britain. He was one of the most prominent black persons in Britain at the time. Born on St. Kitts he was taken to England at the age of ten. In 1764, he was given to Catherine Douglas (née Hyde), Duchess of Queensbury who gave Soubise a privileged life, treating him as if he were her own son. Soubise became the riding and fencing master to the Duchess.