Anne Pépin

Anne Pépin was the richest and most celebrated woman on the West African island of Gorée in French Senegal. Pépin, born to a European man and an African woman, was born into the Afro-European class known as . In 1786, she entered a relationship with the governor Stanislas de Boufflers at the same time that he moved the capital of Senegal from Saint Louis to Gorée. Pépin held the designation of signare, a prestigious social and economic designation for women who formed partnerships with European men and, as such, wielded great power. Pépin lived in the "golden age of the , and her life illustrates how this class functioned as an intermediary group in Afro-European relations."

Life Anne Pépin was born in 1747 to signare Catherine Baudet and Jean Pépin, a surgeon for the French East India Company. Among Anne's five siblings was the trader Nicholas Pépin, a leading figure of the island and often acted as the spokesperson of Gorée in their dealings with the French authorities. While no records exist that show that Pépin or her brother were involved directly with the slave trade, they provided the logistical and material support for the trade on the island.

Anne Pépin owned multiple properties in her lifetime. Her principal household was approximately the same size as her brother's house, a famous house built in a mixed Italo-Provence style. It is not believed that any of her properties remain intact today.

She should not be confused with her niece, Anna Colas Pépin, who became known for a similar relationship with François d'Orléans, Prince of Joinville.

Legacy The stories of Anne Pépin and other like her illustrate how mixed-race signares were able to gain influence and act as intermediaries between Europeans and Africans. Their familiarity with the laws and customs of the two cultures made them incredibly influential.