Runaway records: Anne Harmon

Dr Darren Reid of the University of Dundee is running an series of seminars over Skype on Atlantic History and, as part of this, I was asked to write these posts. Dr Reid posed a simple question; “what do these runaway records tell us about the past?” with a variety of options for how it might be taken, directions to explore, but with an invitation to explore as interest directed.

As such I have selected, more or less at random, two of the earliest advertisements from the Virginia Gazette one for a female servant (Anne Harmon) and one for a pair of nameless black slaves. My intention is to examine the information presented by both and compare them, to see what details are held to be important about a free (if indentured) woman and enslaved black men.

In this first post I will consider Anne Harmon, an Englishwoman who fled from Essex County (Virginia). Here is the advertisement in full:

Friday, September 24, to Friday, October 1, 1736.
RAN away, on the 17th of September last; from Mr. John Corries, of Piscataway, in Essex County, an English Servant Woman, named Anne Harmon, aged about 20, of a middle Stature, well featur'd, and has black Hair and Eyes: She had on, when she went away, a Cotton Gown and Petticoat, strip'd with red and Blue; and an English Straw Hat, lin'd with White Callico. There were stolen about the Time she went away, Eleven Yards of Fine Scotch Plad, 4 Dozen of Scotch Handkerchiefs, several Holland Shirts and Aprons, Three Pair of fine Worsted Stockings, and several Caps, lac'd and plain. And about 10 Days before, were stolen out of the Store, Eleven Dozen of Scotch Handkerchiefs, 1 Piece of fine Plad, some Nuns Thread, 4 Dozen of Cravats, and 2 Felt Hats: All which she is suspected to have stolen, or been accessory to it. These are therefore to request all Persons to aid and assist in apprehending the said Servant, and bringing her to Justice; and, for so doing, they shall be handsomely rewarded, besides what the Law allows, by John Corries.

The description of Ms Harmon is somewhat vague (aged about 20, of a middle Stature, well featur'd, and has black Hair and Eyes) but it suggests a pleasant young lady with dark eyes and hair, though the picture painted of her dress is much more complete (Cotton Gown and Petticoat, strip'd with red and Blue; and an English Straw Hat, lin'd with White Callico) and render a reasonable impression of a young woman.

Whilst today that report of the missing Ms Harmon would, perhaps, not be of too much use in the early 18th Century it is reasonable to expect that she would struggle to change her appearance, especially her clothing, and that the combination of a young woman on her own, with dark colouring (hair and eyes) and the colourful (red and blue striped) dress would stick in the mind of many.

Next one must surely consider the amount of goods she is said to have taken; Eleven Yards of Fine Scotch Plad, 4 Dozen of Scotch Handkerchiefs, several Holland Shirts and Aprons, Three Pair of fine Worsted Stockings, and several Caps, lac'd and plain. Eleven Dozen of Scotch Handkerchiefs, 1 Piece of fine Plad, some Nuns Thread, 4 Dozen of Cravats, and 2 Felt Hats.

That is a significant amount of cloth and would have been of great weight. Even had the young woman, of moderate build (of a middle Stature) been able to lift 11 yards of material (and plaid would be woollen cloth), not to mention handkerchiefs, stockings, shirts, aprons, thread, cravats, caps and felt hats, it is unlikely she would have been able to take it far. There is no mention of the theft of horse, cart, mule or other beast of burden so there must either have been an accomplice (which seems likely) or a nearby agent who would have paid for them; everything costs money and there is, again, no mention of missing funds (though Anne may have been able to earn some money during whatever private time she had).

So it seems likely that someone close to Mr Corries must have seen Anne, or her companion, and bought from her a great deal of cloth and clothing. I do not know what the law would proclaim about buying stolen goods; though suspect that they would not be allowed to be retained. That is, perhaps, one good reason for the ending of the advertisement; These are therefore to request all Persons to aid and assist in apprehending the said Servant, and bringing her to Justice; and, for so doing, they shall be handsomely rewarded, besides what the Law allows, by John Corries.

Readers are shown a stick by being reminded of the law and legal obligations involved then promised a carrot, in the form of a “handsome reward”.

To me it is telling that more than two thirds of the advertisement covers (in some detail) the goods which Ms Harmon is supposed to have taken whilst the description of her as a person is brief, and of her clothing rather fuller.