Runaway records: pair of black men

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 second post I will consider the fate of two black slaves who fled from Caroline County (Virginia). Here is the advertisement in full:

Friday, October 15, to Friday, October 22, 1736.
Williamsburg, October 22, 1736. RAN away, about the middle of August last, from Roy's Warehouse, in Caroline County, Two new Negro men, of a middle Stature; one of them of a yellow Complexion, with a Scar on the Top of his Head. The other a black Fellow; and they took with them several Linen Cloths, and Cotton Frocks, without Sleeves, which they had when I bought them. Whoever takes up the said Slaves and brings them to the above-mentioned Warehouse, shall have Two Pistoles Reward, besides what the Law directs, paid by Peyton Smith.

The first thing to note here is that there really is very little to the piece; the descriptions of the pair are extremely brief. They’re described as being of average build (of a middle Stature), one being lighter skinned and with a scar (one of them of a yellow Complexion, with a Scar on the Top of his Head) but the other simply being darker skinned (The other a black Fellow).

In part, I suppose, this paucity of personal description in a land where free black men were uncommon is because the sight of a pair of black men walking free would draw attention. Another, perhaps greater, part is that it seems likely that Mr Smith simply didn't pay too much attention to the slaves.

Perhaps there were a number of slaves working at Roy's Warehouse, perhaps not, but certainly Mr Smith who posted the advertisement did not know when the two men had gone missing (RAN away, about the middle of August last), and hadn't an idea of their names (or, perhaps, simply didn't consider that to be of any importance).

There is a little information on what they are wearing or may be carrying (several Linen Cloths, and Cotton Frocks, without Sleeves) though again without detail. This may be because a pair of black men would have found it very difficult to have sold goods on, possibly the detail was considered irrelevant by Mr Smith, or perhaps because Mr Smith didn't know.

It does seem that Mr Smith is eager to recover his property, going so far as to offer what may have been a fairly expensive, and useful to the martially inclined, reward of a pair of pistols (Two Pistoles Reward, besides what the Law directs), costing perhaps a pound [1], which would was a significant amount of money [2], especially when one considers the average wages in the Colonies [3].

So, in brief, there is really very little information on the two men, however, this may have been because there was really very little need, or because the subscriber didn't have the information to give.

[1] The Wilsons: Gunmakers to Empire, 1730–1832 [PDF 3.6mb]
DeWitt Bailey II, P 85/17
“50 pair of Pistols (with ramrods) same bore as the Best arms and same  mark, low price about 20/-.”

[2] Value of Money
“1730 - 2 pound 5 shilling ($10) gives a purchase power of £ 302 or $ 294 in 2006”

[3] Wages in Colonial America
"1730s - Labourer, 6£/year, Shoemaker, 8 to 14£/year , Armourer, 35£/year"

Please forgive the poor quality of English on the american-firearms.com website