Runaway Advertisements Case #1 Virginia

Runaway Advertisements

Case #1 Virginia Gazette (Parks), Williamsburg, From May 2 to May 9, 1745

On March 30th 1745, an English convict servant woman named Isabella Pierce ran away from her master, Thomas Lewis. She was described as of middle stature, thin visage, and walked with a limp in her right leg. She had scars on each side of her right leg, indicating sort of injury. When she ran away she had in her possession a blue jacket, a stripped Swan skin ditto, a Manx-cloth petticoat, a small plat hat, one pair of white plaid stockings, and a pair of Country-made shoes. However, it was believed that she changed both her clothes and identity, and went under the name of Bridget Castillo. Along with herself, and her clothes, she also stole two gold rings, a silver stock-buckle, and about six Pounds cash.

While most of those people in captivity were slaves from Africa, there were cases of white people in captivity as well. While these were indentured servants, serving for a period of time, their treatment sometimes was equally as cruel as those in complete slavery. This may have been the case with Isabella. But since runaway whites more easily passed as free people, especially if supplied with enough money, the fact that Isabella left with a considerable amount of cash and other goods may indicate that she was successful in her escape. Although there was a five Pound reward offered for her capture, six Pounds if she traveled out of the colony, there are not available records indicating her fate.

Case #2 Virginia Gazette (Rind), Williamsburg, October 22, 1772

This case involves a servant 25-year-old woman Elizabeth Smith, and appeared to be her fourth attempt at escape. She was 5 feet 4 or 5 inches tall, had black hair, many scars on her face and arms, as well as was pitted with smallpox scars. Since the advertisement does not refer to her race, it can be assumed that she was a white indentured servant, and not a black slave. When she fled her captivity she took with her several articles of clothing including a short black calico gown, a white linen ditto, a white apron, and a "humhum" sack containing two more petticoats, a red one and calico colored one, a blue satin capuchin, a black laved bonnet, three pairs of stockings (one cotton and two hose), and a pair of black calamanco shoes with silver buckles.

From the scars on her face chin and arms it can be assumed that she was beaten around the head and neck on a regular basis, added to the fact that this was her fourth attempt at escape, it can be concluded that her life as an indentured servant made her the victim of cruelty and physical abuse. While there are no records to indicate her fate, the ad does indicate that she may have returned to a man she was formerly indentured to, a Captain Gray, from Boston. This would seem to indicate that her abuse began when she was indentured to Alexander M'Intyre, the man who took out the ad and offered 5 Pounds for her return.

Case #3 Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon), Williamsburg, June 23, 1774

In May of 1774, a tall, thin, 35-year-old Mulatto woman named Jean, ran away from her slave master David Hobbs. While the advertisement was short on information about her clothing, it did give an indication of where she may have been headed. Three places were mentioned; Green Springs in James City, Williamsburg, and Ubanna in Middlesex. Apparently she had acquaintances in those places which would have been able to help her evade recapture.

Since the ad mentions that the tip of her left thumb was missing, she too can be assumed to have suffered physical abuse. However, the as does not mention any scars so the mutilation of her left hand could have been the result of an accident instead of intentional infliction of pain. Finally, since she was of mix blood, the ad mentioned that she may try to pass herself as a free woman, and therefore, she must have had many white features. Since she may have tried to get to friends for help, it can be assumed that escaping from slavery was a very difficult endeavor without aid from others.

Case #4 Virginia Gazette (Rind), Williamsburg, August 8, 1771

It was on April 1st 1771 that a slave named Jenny ran away from her master Edmund Bacon. Five months later Mr. Bacon took out an ad in the paper announcing that he would pay for her return. She was 23 years old, 5 feet 4 or 5 inches tall, and had at least one scar on her cheek which was described as "to have been occasioned by the stroke of a whip." There was no information pertaining to her clothing except that she had been seen in Williamsburg disguised as a man. The advertisement mentioned that she had been owned by two other men before coming to Edmund Bacon: James Anderson and Robert Hyland, so it may be assumed that Mr. Bacon considered her returning to her former masters a possibility. It may also be assumed that since she may return to these former masters, she may not have been physically abused by them and that the physical abuse by Mr. Bacon may have been what drove her to run away.

The ad also stated that beside paying money to those who would return her, Mr. Bacon warned anyone who might try to harbor, aid, or transport her out of the colony that he will prosecute anyone who tried. From this information it can be concluded that there were laws in place to punish anyone who tried to help slaves escape from their captivity.

Case #5 Virginia Gazette (Purdie) Williamsburg, August 21, 1778

Of the many reasons a slave may wish to run away, being split apart from family and loved ones was one of the most heart-wrenching reasons. Children were sold away from their parents, husbands from their wives, and it is reasonable to conclude that this caused a great deal of resentment among the victims. One such case in 1778 seems to be an example of just such cruelty and involved a 35-year-old runaway black slave woman named Nanny. She was described as middle-sized and well-shaped, and was last seen wearing a blue plains waistcoat and petticoat. On the first of July 1778, after being sold to a Mr. William Finnie, and in the act of being transported to her new owner, she jumped from the wagon and ran away.