Enslavement and Freedom in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Items

• Names: Tom, Dick, Bob
  Date of item: 31 August 1778
  Location: Lancaster Borough
  Item: Notice of captured suspected escaped slaves
  Details/Text: "Lancaster Town and County, Aug. 31, 1778.
  NOTICE is hereby given, That on the 13th of July last was committed to my custody, the three following described Negroes, viz.
  TOM, about 23 years of age, scarified on his left arm with artificial cuts.
  Dick, has three scars on each side of his face, from his temple to his chin, his left foot and leg has been much burnt or scalded; both say they belong to John Davis, of Goose Creek, North-Carolina.
  BOB, talks good English, (which Dick and Tom cannot) says he belongs to Thomas Davis, near Alexandria in old Virginia. Their masters are hereby desired to come and prove their property, pay charges and take them away, otherwise they will be sold within ten weeks from this dates to pay the same, without further notice, by
  ANDREW CUNNINGHAM, Goaler."
  Notes: Both Tom and Dick had a poor command of English and African cultural or tribal scars on either their arm or face.
  Source: Dunlap's Pennsylvania Packet and General Advertiser, 15 September 1778
• Name: Charles
  Date of item: 28 February 1780
  Location: Lancaster Borough
  Item: Notice of captured suspected escaped slave
  Details/Text: "Lancaster, February 28, 1780.
  COMMITTED to my custody, on the 25th of September last, on suspicion of being a run away, a Negro man, named Charles, about twenty five years of age, between 5 feet 2 and 3 inches high. This is to give notice to his master, if he has any, to come and take him in six weeks from this date, or else he will be sold for his fees, &c. He says, he belongs to Mr. Patrick Grimes, in or near North-Hampton, Old Virginia. HUGH CUNNINGHAM, goaler."
  Notes: Charles had been in prison for five months by the time this was initially published.
  Source: The Pennsylvania Journal or Weekly Advertiser (Philadelphia), 15 March 1780.
• Name: Polly Heans (Haines) and un-named child
  Date of item: 06 December 1782
  Location: Lancaster Borough
  Item: Jailed along with her six-month old child as suspected escaped slaves
  Details/Text: "Lancaster, December 6, 1782
  WAS committed to the jail of this county, on the 18th day of September 1782, a NEGRO WENCH, calls herself Polly Heans, is about twenty years of age, four feet six inches high, and has with her a Mulatto child, about six months old. The owner or owners of said wench and child are desired to come and prove property, pay charges and take them away, in six weeks from the above date, otherwise they will be discharged agreeable to law, by
  HUGH CUNNINGHAM.
  Jailer for Lancaster county."
  Notes: Polly and her six-month-old child were captured and jailed in Lancaster county on 18 September 1782 as suspected escaped slaves. Lancaster jailer Hugh Cunningham placed the above ad in Philadelphia newspapers advertising her. As of the date of the ad, the release of her and her child for lack of anyone claiming them as property was imminent, January 17th being the advertised release date.
  
  The ad above, with almost identical language, was also placed in Dunlap and Claypool's American Daily Advertiser, another Philadelphia newspaper, appearing January 11 and February 6, 1783. The appearance of the ad in all newspapers after the calculated release date for Polly seems to indicate she was held in jail longer.
  Polly's case was brought before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in May 1785, more than two-and-a-half years after she and her child were jailed by Judge Michael Hubley. In the May 1785 session, the court determined that she was not an escaped slave and ordered her and her child to be set free. (See the details of the court decision here.)
  Source: The Freeman's Journal and North American Intelligencer (Philadelphia), 15, 21, 22 January 1783
• Names: Tom Rudry, Betty Rudry, Allick Luckas
  Date of item: 11 July 1784
  Location: Lancaster borough
  Item: Jailed as suspected escaped slaves from Virginia.
  Details/Text: "WAS committed to Lancaster Goal, in the County of Lancaster, and State of Pennsylvania, June the 4th, 1784.
  TOM RUDRY, and BETTY his Wife, Negroes. Say they belong to Stephen Speacker, in the lower end of Lancaster, adjoining Richmond, in the State of Virginia, and lives near William Oldam, Esq,
  Likewise was committed, July 5th, 1784, ALLICK LUCKAS, a Negro Man, says he belongs to Mr. William Barneysears, of Lowden County, Virginia. The owner or owners are desired to come and prove property, pay charges, otherwise they will be sold out for their costs, agreeable to law, in six weeks from the date hereof.
  Lancaster, July 11, 1784."
  Notes: The six-week deadline for claiming these persons was August 22, 1784. Tom and Betty Rudry, captured on June 4, would have been imprisoned for nearly three months by that date.
  Source: The Pennsylvania Journal or Weekly Advertiser, 31 July 1784.