I represent Maria Belle. I was a woman of color enslaved by Sir John Linsday. Sir John was a naval officer who had been stationed in Pensacola while captain of HMS Tartar. I was given my freedom, and on August 1, 1773, while I was living in London, Sir John gave me the title to a town lot in Pensacola. I paid nothing for it, I had only to satisfy the requirements of ownership under colonial law – that was, to build a house and fence the lot. The lot faced Cumberland street (now Baylen) and Pensacola harbor. A map of 1781 shows that it had a house on it, so it looks like I carried out my part of the bargain. There is some debate over how long and exactly when I lived in Pensacola, but the indenture for the lot seems to say that I did.
Sources: 12, 116