1771-05 Freedom Seeking: Peter

Identifier
NJS-EVE-01058
Source
Runaway ad for Peter, by New York merchant firm Hallett and Hazard

Runaway ad for Peter, by New York merchant firm Hallett and Hazard, "Ten Dollars Reward," Pennsylvania Packet, and the General Advertiser, May 18, 1772, p. 2.
Event Description
A Black man named Peter ran away from his enslaver Patrick Simpson, who had a plantation on Edisto Island in South Carolina. Peter escaped around May 1771 and was still at large a year later. It appears that Peter's enslaver believed that Peter may have gone to Pennsylvania or New Jersey. A New York merchant firm called Hallett and Hazard placed a runaway advertisement in a Philadelphia newspaper on behalf of the enslaver offering a reward of $10 for Peter's capture in any jail in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. A man named Peter Gordon served as the a contact point for the enslaver in Princeton and another man named Peter Wikoff served as a contact point in Philadelphia.

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Transcript of the source document:

"New-York, May 11th, 1772.
Ten Dollars Reward.
Runaway from the plantation of Mr. Patrick Simpson, on Edisto, near Charles-Town, in South-Carolina, a Negro Man, named Peter, of a yellow complexion, middle aged, and about five feet seven inches high. Had on when he run away, which was near twelve months ago, a green pea jacket, and check shirt: He is a sensible, plausible fellow, and talks very proper English. Whoever will apprehend said negro, and secure him in any goal in Pennsylbania or New-Jersey, and give notice thereof to Mr. Peter Wikoff in Philadelphia, or Mr. Peter Gordon in Princeton, shall be paid the above reward and all reasonable charged by
Hallett and Hazard."
Event Type
Freedom Seeking
Date
May 1771 – May 1772
Date Certainty
Approximate
Location of Event
Edisto Island, South Carolina
Related Place
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Princeton
Primary Participants

Peter
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02500
Role: Runaway
Age category: Adult
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Patrick Simpson
Verbatim description from source:
"a Negro Man, named Peter, of a yellow complexion, middle aged, and about five feet seven inches high; He is a sensible, plausible fellow, and talks very proper English"
Additional Participants

Patrick Simpson
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02499
Role: Enslaver
Comment: plantation owner in South Carolina

Peter Wikoff
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02497
Role: Agent for Enslaver
Comment: contact in Philadelphia, PA

Peter Gordon
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02498
Role: Agent for Enslaver
Comment: contact in Princeton, NJ
Record Contributor
Kayra Guven
Princeton & Slavery Project
Resource class
Event