1804-07-23 Freedom Seeking: Alexander

Identifier
NJS-EVE-01119
Source
Runaway ad for Azor, Alexander, and Fifi, by J. P. R. Grandmont

Runaway ad for Azor, Alexander, and Fifi, by J. P. R. Grandmont, "One Hundred Dollars Reward," Trenton Federalist, July 30, 1804, p. 3.
Event Description
Alexander, a French-speaking Black man who had been raised in Saint Domingue (now Haiti), ran away from the house of Andrew S. Hunter in Flemington, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, on Tuesday, July 23, 1804. Alexander's primary enslaver was Jacques Philipe Rossignol de Grandmont (an exiled Haitian planter who was then a resident of Trenton), but Alexander had been living and working in Hunter's household in Flemington when he made his escape. Grandmont published a runaway ad offering a reward for Alexander and for two other people who ran away from Grandmont's house in Trenton. See related events for Azor and Fifi (who were mentioned in the same runaway ad) and also for Jack.

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Transcript of the source document:

"One Hundred Dollars Reward.

RAN-AWAY from the Subscriber, at Trenton, New Jersey, two negro men, named Azor and Alexander, and a negro woman named Fifi. Azor has been gone 3 or 4 months, is a tall stout fellow, about 41 years of age, speaks the English language very imperfectly, being from St. Domingo, and may be easily known by a peculiarity in his walk, an impediment in his speech, and by his front teeth being turned with their edges in front. Alexander has been living for some time past with Mr. Hunter, at Flemington, and went off from that place on Tuesday night last, he is a tall, slender, well made man, about 28 or 30 years of age, and also speaks the English language imperfectly, being from St. Domingo; he is very black, and took with him many clothes; among them he had a sailor's jacket and a pair of pantaloons of plaid cotton. Fifi, the woman, has been absent for 2 or 3 months, and is perhaps somewhere in Pennsylvania; she is a short, fat, round faced wench, speaks the English language badly and is neat in her dress and appearance. Whoever will take up the above slaves and lodge them in Trenton gaol, shall receive 100 dollars reward, or in proportion for either. If confined in any other place 30 dollars will be given for each, on applying to Andrew S. Hunter, Esq, Flemington, or to Dr. Bellville, Trenton, New Jersey.

J. P. R. Grandmont

July 28, 1804. 83 tf."
Event Type
Freedom Seeking
Date
July 23, 1804
Date Certainty
Inferred
Location of Event
Flemington
Related Place
Trenton
Related Event
1803-12-20 Freedom Seeking: Jack
1804-03 Freedom Seeking: Azor
1804-05 Freedom Seeking: Fifi
Primary Participants

Alexander (b. 1774)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02620
Role: Runaway
Age: 28
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Jacques Philipe Rossignol de Grandmont (1760-1809)
- Andrew S. Hunter
Verbatim description from source:
"Alexander has been living for some time past with Mr. Hunter, at Flemington, and went off from that place on Tuesday night last, he is tall, slender, well made man, about 28 or 30 years of age, and also speaks the English language imperfectly, being from St. Domingo; he is very black"
Additional Participants

Jacques Philipe Rossignol de Grandmont (1760-1809)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02618
Role: Enslaver, Advertiser
Comment: Alexander's primary legal enslaver

Andrew S. Hunter
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02628
Role: Enslaver, Advertiser
Comment: Alexander worked for him and ran away from his house

Dr. Bellville
Person identifier: NJS-PER-01995
Role: Agent for Enslaver
Comment: point of contact for enslaver Grandmont in Trenton
Record Contributor
Kate Jackson
Resource class
Event