Lady Maria Nugent (1771-1834)
Maria Nugent was born in New Jersey, USA, to a family who were staunchly loyal to Britain during the American Revolution. The family emigrated to England when peace came. Maria married Field-Marshall Sir George Nugent and they moved to Jamaica, where her husband was appointed Governor-General. She had five children. She started a journal in April 1801 just before her departure to Jamaica and carried on writing until November 1814 by which time she was in Calcutta, India. The journal was initially published for private circulation in 1839 and republished by the Institute of Jamaica in 1907. Although sympathetic towards slaves, her views did not extend to the abolition of slavery. She saw religion and better-behaved overseers as the best way of improving slave conditions.