Malvina Wells was born a slave in the West Indies. Her mother was a slave, and her father was a planter, John Wells.

She is listed at no. 124 on a list of slaves on the Grand Bay Estate, Carriacou, in 1817 - Malvina, mulatto (i.e. she had a white father) Creole, supposed age 13, no distinguishing marks.

She came to Scotland as a domestic servant to Mrs Joanna Macrae of Edinburgh some time before 1851.

In the 1851 census, Malvina Wells, aged 48, lady's maid, was living at 33 Great King’s Street, Edinburgh, in the MacRae household.

She died in Edinburgh on 22 April 1887.