1803-12-20 Freedom Seeking: Jack

Identifier
NJS-EVE-01115
Source
Runaway ad for Jack, by Louis Rossignol de Belleanse

Runaway ad for Jack, by Louis Rossignol de Belleanse, "Twenty Dollars Reward," Trenton Federalist, January 9, 1804, p. 3.
Event Description
On December 20, 1803, a 33-year-old Black man named Jack ran away from his enslaver, Louis Rossignol de Belleanse, who was at that time living in Trenton. Belleanse submitted a runaway ad to the Trenton Federalist in January 1804, and the subscriber's name was printed in the newspaper as "Lewis R. Balleanse." The ad noted that Belleanse was living with "Mr. Grandmont" in Trenton, which refers to Jacques Philipe Rossignol de Grandmont. Belleanse and Grandmont were both French planters who fled the island of Haiti during the Haitian Revolution. The ad also noted that Jack was brought up to speak French, and could only speak broken English.

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Transcript of the source document:

"Twenty Dollars Reward.

RAN-AWAY from the Subscriber, on Monday the 20th of December last, a NEGRO MAN named Jack. He is about thirty-three years of age, five feet four inches high, a good looking fellow, and respectful in his address — has an aquiline nose, large whiskers, and wears gold rings in his ears. He took with him the following articles of clothing, (viz): A blue surtout coat, a green coat, a pair of brown pantaloons, a brown jacket, lined with red flannel, a new fur hat, a new pair of shoes, and several other articles. He is a French Negro, but speaks the English language in a broken manner. The above reward will be given, with all reasonable charges, to any one who will take up the said Negro and return to his master, at Mr. Grandmont's in Trenton.

LEWIS R. BALLEANSE

Trenton, January 4, 1804. 54-3w"
Event Type
Freedom Seeking
Date
December 20, 1803
Location of Event
Trenton
Related Event
1804-03 Freedom Seeking: Azor
1804-05 Freedom Seeking: Fifi
1804-07-23 Freedom Seeking: Alexander
Primary Participants

Jack (b. 1770)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02616
Role: Runaway
Age: 33
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Louis Rossignol de Belleanse (1746-1808)
Verbatim description from source:
"NEGRO MAN named Jack. He is about thirty-three years of age, five feet four inches high, a good looking fellow, and respectful in his address — has an aquiline nose, large whiskers, and wears gold rings in his ears; He is a French Negro, but speaks the English language in a broken manner"
Additional Participants

Louis Rossignol de Belleanse (1746-1808)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02615
Role: Enslaver, Advertiser

Jacques Philipe Rossignol de Grandmont (1760-1809)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02618
Role: Mentioned Person
Comment: Jack ran away from Grandmont's house in Trenton where enslaver Belleanse lived at the time
Record Contributor
Kate Jackson
Resource class
Event