Mary_Fillis

Mary Fillis

Mary Fillis

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Mary Fillis was a seamstress in Tudor England.[1]

Biography

Mary Fillis, of Moorish descent, was born to Fillis of Morisco, a Moroccan craftsman specializing in basket weaving and shovel making.[2] Born into a Muslim family, Fillis expressed a desire for baptism to her employer, Porter, signifying her willingness to assimilate into the culture of Britain.[2] The consequent baptism was held at St Botolph's in Aldgate, London, in 1597.[2]

Fillis migrated to London around 1583–4, and first served as a servant to merchant John Barker before becoming a seamstress under Millicent Porter in East Smithfield by 1597.[2]

Following Porter's death in 1599, Fillis's subsequent fate remains unknown.[3] Her residence in London occurred amidst diplomatic negotiations between England and Morocco against their mutual opponent, Spain, influencing the societal context of her life in Tudor England.[3]

References

  1. [1]
    Bakre, Tolu. "Unforgotten Black Women: Mary Fillis, A Seamstress Driven By Independence". Refinery29.
  2. [2]
    Taylor, Mildred Europa (June 28, 2022). "The extraordinary rise of Mary Fillis, a successful seamstress from Morocco who lived in Tudor England in 1500s". Face2Face Africa.
  3. [3]
    "BLACK TUDORS...A peek into the lives of ten people of the African Diaspora who lived in Tudor Britain". Black History Month 2023. February 14, 2008.
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