A Legacy of Freedom
In a personal letter, Cindy Rosan, an eighth-generation descendant of Margaret Nottingham, reflects on 250 years of freedom that began with the 1776 manumission of 25 enslaved people on Nottingham Estate. She calls on the community to honour that history while confronting today’s social and economic challenges in Long Look and the eastern districts.
In a heartfelt letter addressed to the descendants of Nottingham Estate, Cindy Rosan, who identifies herself as an eighth-generation direct descendant of Margaret Nottingham, recalls the 1776 manumission that freed 25 enslaved Africans on Nottingham Estate and set the foundation for one of the earliest free Black communities in the region.
Rosan’s letter traces family lines through generations — naming ancestors such as Margaret Nottingham, Diana Nottingham, Meshack and Andrew Pickering — and highlights relatives well known in the eastern districts, including Mrs. Naomi, Tonton Lilly (Lillian Stevens), Tonton Sita (Rosita Davies) and Melvina “Ms.
The genealogy Rosan outlines links her family directly to the historic act of freedom and underlines a continuous presence in Long Look, Fat Hogs Bay, Greenland and surrounding areas for nearly 250 years. The 1776 manumission predated the British Caribbean abolition of slavery in 1834 and is a significant but often under-appreciated chapter in Virgin Islands history.
Rosan frames Nottingham Estate not just as a geographic place but as a living testament to resilience, faith and community-building: values she says have sustained families through generations of farming, fishing, church leadership, teaching and public service. At the same time, Rosan does not shy from present-day realities.
She acknowledges rising costs of living, limited opportunities for young people, and infrastructure needs that affect families across the territory. Her reflections strike a balance between pride in a hard-won legacy and a practical recognition that investment, opportunity and preservation are required to keep that legacy alive.
As 2026 marks roughly 250 years since the Nottingham manumission, Rosan urges descendants and the wider public to honour their ancestors by preserving history, protecting the community’s legacy and continuing to build opportunities for future generations. Her call aligns with wider conversations in the British Virgin Islands about heritage preservation, community development and how to turn historical memory into tangible benefits for residents.
Whether through local education, archival work, heritage tourism or community-led initiatives, Rosan’s letter is a reminder that the story of Nottingham Estate belongs to the people of the eastern districts and to the territory as a whole. It is both a family story and a civic inheritance — one she says should guide action and pride for years to come.
Primary source: Guavaberry