Prejudice 1810

In the first (1801) and second (1802) editions of Maria Edgeworth's novel Belinda,  Juba, a Black servant, marries an English farmgirl named Lucy. The third edition of the book, published in 1810, omitted the character Juba, and instead has Lucy betrothed to one James Jackson.

Both these minor characters belong to a [much] lower social class than Belinda and her potential partners.  Nonetheless, according to Edgeworth the alteration was made  because

"many people have been scandalized by the idea of a black man marrying a white woman; my father says that gentlemen have horrors on this subject and would draw conclusions very unfavourable to a female author who appeared to recommend such unions".

It's notable however that this had to be explained to Edgeworth, who had originally regarded the fictional marriage as quite commonplace, or at least unremarkable among the servantry.  She excused herself by adding:

"As I do not understand the subject, I trust to this better judgment".