Gustavus Vassa was born as Olaudah Equiano in 1745 in 'Essaka' in modern-day Nigeria.

 Although he had already gained a name for himself in England through his anti-slavery campaigning, it was with the publication in 1789 of his autobiography ‘The interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavas Vassa, the African’ that he rose to real prominence. 

 There he recounted his childhood in Africa, his capture by British slave traders at the age of 11 and his subsequent adventures serving as a slave in the British Navy. After contriving to buy his freedom in 1766. one of the ventures he became involved in found him buying and overseeing slaves himself on a plantation in Central America.
 
After being cheated out of his earnings and narrowly escaping kidnap, he returned to England a decade later. He designed his autobiography as a petition against slavery presented to Parliament and to Queen Charlotte 'I.. implore your interposition with your royal consort, in favour of the wretched Africans; that..a period may now be put to their misery and that they may be raised from the condition of brutes to which they are at present degraded to the rights and situation of men' .

 He funded its publication by obtaining advance subscriptions including two Wisbech worthies; John Clarkson, brother of the noted abolitionist, Thomas and Jonathan Peckover, founder of the first public bank in Wisbech.  Such was its success,  a further eight editions were forthcoming. 

 Vassa records the event which connects him to Cambridgeshire briefly and matter of factly 'I remained in London till I heard the debate in the house of Commons on the Slave Trade..I then went to Soham, Cambridgeshire and was married on the 7th of April to Miss Cullen, daughter of James and Ann Cullen, late of Ely.

Marriage of Gustavas Vassa ‘an African’ to Susanah Cullen recorded in the register of St. Andrew’s Church, Soham, 1792. [Cambridgeshire Archives P142/1/11]

When Vassa died, just five years later. In his will he styles himself 'Gustavus Vassa, Gentlemen.'

 His infant daughters, Anna Maria and Joanna, were beneficiaries to his will but could not inherit until they came of age. Anna Maria died just a few months after her father. There is a memorial to her outside St. Andrew's church in Chesterton where she was laid to rest:

'A child of colour haply not thine own. Her father born of Afric's sunburnt race torn from his native field ah foul disgrace'

Joanna, however survived to inherit  £950 on her 21st birthday; a very substantial sum of money and an incredible testament to the determination and ambition of a former slave.