1795-07-16 Freedom Seeking: Mary
- Identifier
- NJS-EVE-01066
- Source
-
Runaway ad for Mary, by Francis Blaise
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Runaway ad for Mary, by Francis Blaise, "Twenty-Four Dollars Reward," Guardian, Or, New-Brunswick Advertiser, July 21, 1795, p. 3.
- Event Description
-
Mary, who originally ran away from Francis Blaise's house at Princeton in December 1793, managed to evade capture for at least a year and a half, and possibly longer. She had been seen heading to the Sourland Mountain area when she first escaped, but it is not known whether she continued staying in that area. Mary was about 20 years old when she ran away from Princeton. In July 1795, Francis Blaise published a second runaway ad for Mary offering a reward of $24 for her return (he had previously offered a reward of $8 when Mary first absconded). By now Blaise was living in New Brunswick, Middlesex County.
Blaise's second ad made an appeal directly to Mary and to whoever was harboring her. Blaise stated that, if Mary would return of her own accord, he would be willing to sell her to a person of her own choosing and, further, he would subtract the $24 reward from the sale price. If Mary was being harbored by her family members or other supporters, this proposed arrangement may have helped them to legally purchase Mary's freedom. Whether Mary took Blaise's offer and returned or continued living as a fugitive is uncertain.
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Transcript of the source document:
"TWENTY-FOUR DOLLARS REWARD.
RUN away from the Subscriber then living near Princeton, on the 10th December 1793, a Negro Woman named Mary, about 20 years of age, of a short thick person and tollerable handsome face; having lived some time in a French family, she had a little smattering of the French language, the subscriber purchased her of John Carter, at Rocky-hill, where she was seen the day after she ran away, she was also seen at Sourland mountain. Whoever takes up said Negro Woman and delivers her to the subscriber in New-Brunswick, shall be entitled to the above reward--She herself shall be entitled to it, in diminution upon the price at her sale if she is willing to return, and procure herself a master, the subscriber giving her liberty to make her own choice, if any person where she lives should wish to purchase her, in order to save expence and trouble, he may know the terms by directing a line to the subscriber which shall be immediately answered.
FRANCIS BLAISE
New-Brunswick, July 16, 1795. 38." - Event Type
- Freedom Seeking
- Date
- July 16, 1795
- Preceding Event
- 1793-12-10 Freedom Seeking: Mary
- Primary Participants
-
Mary (b. 1773)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02432
Role: Runaway
Age: 21
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Francis Blaise
Verbatim description from source:
"a Negro Woman named Mary, about 20 years of age, of a short thick person and tollerable handsome face; having lived some time in a French family, she had a little smattering of the French language, the subscriber purchased her of John Carter, at Rocky-hill" - Additional Participants
-
Francis Blaise
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02428
Role: Enslaver, AdvertiserJohn Carter
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02472
Role: Former Enslaver Mentioned - Record Contributor
- Jesse Bayker