1817-07 Freedom Seeking: Abraham Sherrit

Identifier
NJS-EVE-01052
Source
Runaway ad for Abraham Sherrit, by Robert Lenox

Runaway ad for Abraham Sherrit, by Robert Lenox, "Twenty Dollars Reward," New-York Daily Advertiser, July 8, 1817, p. 3.
Event Description
Around July 1817, Abraham Sherrit, a 23-year-old Black man, ran away from his enslaver Joseph Clark. Clark was a sea captain in charge of the brig Friendship that sailed between Montserrat and New York, and Abraham Sherrit had worked as a steward aboard this vessel. Abraham Sherrit absconded while the brig was docked in New York. Joseph Clark had to leave Abraham Sherrit behind when he sailed out of the port, but he relied on a business associate of his, a merchant named Robert Lenox, to search for Abraham Sherrit. This merchant, Robert Lenox, was a trustee of Princeton University (then called the College of New Jersey). Lenox published a runaway ad offering a reward for Abraham Sherrit's capture.

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Transcript of the source document:

"TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD,
WILL be paid for apprehending and securing (so that his master may get him again) a black man named ABRAHAM SHERRIT, a slave to the owner of the brig Friendship, of Montserrat, Joseph Clark, master, of which vessel he was stewart. He is a good looking young man of about 23 years of age, 5 feet 4 inches high, and dresses neatly. He has remarkable thick ancles, (the effect of disease) which he endeavours to conceal by his long trowsers. All persons are forbid harbouring the said runaway, and masters of vessels are requested not to ship him.
Application in the absence of the master of the said brig to be made to
ROBERT LENOX, Esq.
july 8--1m"
Event Type
Freedom Seeking
Date
July 1817
Location of Event
New York City, New York
Related Place
Montserrat, West Indies (Caribbean)
Primary Participants

Abraham Sherrit (b. 1794)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02512
Role: Runaway
Age: 23
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Joseph Clark
Verbatim description from source:
"a black man named ABRAHAM SHERRIT, a slave to the owner of the brig Friendship, of Montserrat, Joseph Clark, master, of which vessel he was stewart. He is a good looking young man of about 23 years of age, 5 feet 4 inches high, and dresses neatly. He has remarkable thick ancles, (the effect of disease) which he endeavours to conceal by his long trowsers"
Additional Participants

Joseph Clark
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02511
Role: Enslaver

Robert Lenox
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02510
Role: Agent for Enslaver
Comment: offered a reward for the capture of the runaway on behalf of the enslaver, who was his business associate
Record Contributor
Kayra Guven
Princeton & Slavery Project
Resource class
Event