Pennsylvania's Lower Counties on the Delaware

New Castle County Enslavement Data

Jailer's Notices of Captured Slaves

Published jailer notices provide information on local, state and out of state African Americans arrested and committed to the county jail as suspected escaped slaves. Enslavers of such persons, seeing the notices in regional newspapers, were expected to come to the jail, provide proof of ownership, and pay the costs associated with keeping, feeding, advertising, and filling out paperwork on the captured esapee.

Such notices provide valuable clues regarding the escape routes used by freedom seekers. They also illustrate the dangers faced by free Blacks traveling in areas where they were not known and arrested as suspected escaped slaves. Persons arrested and jailed under suspicion of being escaped slaves often faced months in prison due to delays by jailers in publishing notices, the allowance of weeks or months for potential enslavers to claim them, and the wait for court dates if no enslaver appeared to pay fees. In worst case instances, free Blacks who were unable to prove their free status could be sold back into enslavement by the county to recoup fees and costs.

• Name: Name not known
  Date of item: 20 July 1730
  Location: New Castle
  Item: Notice of impending public sale of suspected escaped slave who "looks wild" and speaks no English.
  Details/Text: "WHereas Notice was published in the American Weekly Mercury, and the Maryland Gazette, in the Months of November and December last, concerning a strange Negroe Man, in the Custody of the Sheriff of New-Castle County, which Negro was taken up as a Runaway, in MillsCreek Hundred, in said County, on the Thirteenth Day of October last, and no Person has since that Time, claim'd the said Negroe, or brought any Account of him, but, by all that can be discovered, from the Account the Negroe gives of himself; it seems, his Master is a practitioner of Physick or Surgery, in some part of Maryland or Virginia. These are therefore to give Notice, That, if there be no further Account of the Master, or Owner of the said Negroe, before the Twentieth Day of August next, the Negroe is to be Sold for Payment of his Prison Charges, &c. He is a short small Limb'd nible Fellow, about Twenty five Years of Age, has a great Head, wide Mouth, and large Eyes, looks wild and staring; seems as if he cannot speak or understand English, nor the Language of any of the Negroes about NewCastle.
  July 20, 1730. William Read, Sheriff of New-Castle."
  Notes: The only additional information in the original capture notice, beyond what was included in the impending sale notice above, was a description of the man's clothing when captured. He was wearing "a Brown Jacket, ragged black Shirt, short Ozenbriggs Trowsers, with a Pair of Leather Breeches underneath."
  Source: The American Weekly Mercury, 06 November 1729, 06 August 1730.

• Names: Ben, Jem and James
  Date of item: 20 October 1756
  Location: New Castle
  Item: Notice of imprisonment of Ben and Jem from Virginia, and James from Kent Island, Maryland.
  Details/Text: "New-Castle, October 20, 1756.
  THERE are now in the goal of this county three Negroe men, committed some days ago as runaways. One, who calls himself Ben, says he belongs to Mr. Rhody Neil in Virginia. Another, who calls himself Jem, says he belongs to Mr. Spencer Smith in Virginia. They seem both to be new Negroes, and can read. The other calls himself James, and says he belongs to Samuel Blunt, captain of a company of foot living in Kent Island, Maryland. The owners of said Negroes are hereby desired to come in six weeks from this date, and take them out of goal, otherwise they will be sold for their fees, by
  JOHN THOMPSON, Goaler."
  Notes: Samuel Blunt of Kent Island had placed an escape ad for James a day after Jailer Thompson placed his notice of capture. Blunt's ad includes a white convict who escaped with James, but who was not among the men captured in New Castle:

  RAN away from the subscriber, living on Kent-Island, in Queen-Anne's County, the two following Servants, viz.
  Richard Cox, a West-Country Man, a Convict, aged about 45 Years, has yellowish curl'd Hair, he is a well looking Fellow, and is about 5 Feet 8 Inches high. Had on when he went away, a half-worn Cloth colour'd Kersey Coat, a short blue Jacket without Sleeves, an old Osnabrigs Shirt, a Pair of old Country Linen Trowsers, half-worn Shoes, a good Castor Hat about half worn, and a black Leather Stock.
  Jemmy, a Country-born Negro, about 5 Feet 7 Inches high, aged about 24 Years, a well-set likely Fellow. Had on an old grey Fearnought Pea Jacket, a short chekuer'd Ditto, a Pair of long wide Trowsers, an Osnabrigs Shirt, and old white Linen Ditto, a half-worn black grain Pump and a new Shoe, and an old Castor Hat. It is supposed they have other Cloaths.
  Whoever takes up the said Fellows, or either of them, and secures them so that their Master may have them again, shall have, if taken in the County, Twenty Shillings Reward for each; and if taken out of the County, a Pistole for each, besides what the Law allows, paid by
  SAMUEL BLUNT.

  Sources: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 11 November 1756; The Maryland Gazette, 21 October 1756.

• Name: Tom
  Date of item: 15 January 1763
  Location: New Castle
  Item: Notice of imprisonment of suspected escaped slave who claims he is free.
  Details/Text: "New Castle, Jan. 15, 1763.
  Committed to the Goal of this County, a Negroe Man, who calls himself Tom, says he is a free Man, and a Tenant to Mr. Thomas Riche, Merchant, in Philadelphia; he is about five Feet ten Inches high, wears a good blue Coat, with Metal Buttons, Great Coat, Leather Breeches, good Shoes and Stockings, &c. His Master, if he has any, is desired to come in four Weeks from the Date hereof, pay Charges, and take him away, otherwise he will be sold for the same, by
  ALEXANDER HARVEY, Goaler."
  Notes:
  Source: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 20 January 1763.

• Name: Name not known by jailer
  Date of item: 20 November 1764
  Location: New Castle
  Item: Man imprisoned as assumed escaped slave can speak little or no English.
  Details/Text: "New-Castle, November 20, 1764.
  NOW in the Goal of this County, a Negroe Man, can speak little or no English, has on an old Flannel Jacket, two old white Shirts, old Hat, wears a Blanket about him; he is a great Smoaker, &c. His master, if he has any, is desired to come in six Weeks after the date hereof, pay Charges, and take him away, otherwise he will be sold for the same, by ALEXANDER HARVEY, Goaler."
  Notes:
  Source: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 29 November 1764.

• Name: Jacob
  Date of item: 10 May 1765
  Location: New Castle
  Item: Jacob is believed to have escaped from Dorchester County, Maryland.
  Details/Text: "New-Castle, May 10, 1765.
  NOW in the Goal of this County, the two following Prisoners, committed on Suspicion of being Runaways, viz.
  Edward Boss, alias William Burnett, about 55 Years of Age, has on a Castor Hat, brown Jacket, and a green one under it, Check Shirt, Leather Breeches, odl Stockings, Neats Leather Shoes, and Brass Buckles.
  Also a Negroe Man, who calls himself Jacob, says he run from Joseph Sadler, in Dorset County. Their Masters, if they have any, are hereby desired to come, in six Weeks from the above Date, pay Charges, and take them away, otherwise they will be sold for the same, by
  ALEXANDER HARVEY, Goaler."
  Notes: It is not clear if the white man William Burnett was traveling with Jacob, or if they had any connection at all. Jailer Harvey reported that Jacob escaped from "Dorset County," but must have meant Dorchester County in Maryland.
  Source: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 16 May 1765.