There are almost no pictures of working children from the slavery past. This drawing by Th. Bray of a sugarcane mill from 1850 is one of few.  We know nothing of the pictured child. By means of another rare source, we’ve learned something about the severity of the work that this child had to do.

The 16 year old Carl K. from plantation Molhoop lost his hand in the mill. He died from the impact.



With this drawing by Th. Bray, 'Plantation director with housemaid and house boy' from 1850, we also see a houseslave at work. He offers hot coals to the slave holder. The slave holder does nothing. Or, is he looking slyly at the female slave?



Of the few children from the slavery past, whom we know by name and face, is Joanna. Perhaps, according to the criteria of that time, she wasn’t even considered a child. Presently that would be the case because the general standard is 18 years old, however in the past, the age at which you were considered an adult varied:
with 12, 14 or 16 years. Joanna was a house slave in Paramaribo for the Demmely family.
One day, army captain John Stedman came by for a visit. John saw Joanna, was instantly smitten and made a drawing of her. Joanna was then fifteen years old.

John Stedman travelled to Suriname specifically to fight against slaves who escaped from the plantations and built their own villages in the jungles. Slave holders were frightened for their attacks and wanted to prevent other slaves from rising up.

Stedman had a few days free when he visited the Demmely family.  Was Joanna also in love with him? Stedman thought so. In any case, Joanna and he had a son, Johnny.  They lived together up until it was time for Stedman to return to Europe. Joanna did not go along, however his young slave Quaco did.