The Grave of Olaudah Equiano's Daughter Is Found
As all students of history know, or should know, Olaudah Equiano is one of the most well-known victims of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Born in West Africa, Equiano purchased his freedom in 1766 and found his way to England, where he married Susanna Cullen, in 1792, and had two daughters, Anna Maria, whose grave was recently discovered, and Joanna. He is the author of The Interesting Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano, one of the most influential slave narratives ever written. You can learn more about his life and work HERE.
Olaudah Equiano | Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African
Equiano
Lost grave of daughter of Black abolitionist Olaudah Equiano found by A-level student
Fitzwilliam Museum has uncovered student’s work from 1977 that revealed Cambridgeshire location of child’s burial place
Chris Osuh
Rediscovering Anna Maria Vassa’s Grave - Cambridge University Museums
We have always known that Anna Maria, the eldest daughter of Black British abolitionist Olaudah Equiano, died on 31 July 1797 and was buried in Chesterton. However, the exact site of her grave had long been forgotten. This Black History Month blog is the story of our rediscovery of Anna Maria’s grave. This discovery builds This blog for Black History Month 2025 tells the story of the recent re-discovery of the grave of Anna Maria Vassa, eldest daughter of Olaudah Equiano, Britain’s most important Black Abolitionist.
Jocelyn Murdoch
The child buried in Cambridge who ‘left her mark on an ordinary village’
A church memorial shows how the young Black girl left her mark on the conscience of the village, its vicar said
Lottie Limb
Anna Maria Vassa’s Grave Rediscovered - Diocese of Ely
The final resting place of Anna Maria – the elder daughter of Olaudah Equiano – has been rediscovered in the St Andrew’s Chesterton churchyard.
Diocese of Ely
Origins | The Transatlantic Slave Trade
A history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade in America.
An engraving of trafficked Africans arriving in Virginia in 1619.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images