1804-05 Freedom Seeking: Fifi

Identifier
NJS-EVE-01121
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
Fifi, a French-speaking Black woman who had been raised in Saint Domingue (now Haiti), ran away from her enslaver Jacques Philipe Rossignol de Grandmont around April or May 1804. Fifi made her escape from Trenton, where Grandmont had a home. Grandmont posted a reward for Fifi's capture in July 1804, noting that Fifi had been gone for 2 or 3 months by then and conjecturing that she may have gone to Pennsylvania. Grandmont requested that information be sent to Dr. Bellville in Trenton, which may indicate that Grandmont himself was away from Trenton at that time.

Fifi was one of several people who ran away from Grandmont around this time. See related events for Alexander and Azor (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
May 1804
Date Certainty
Approximate
Location of Event
Trenton
Related Place
Pennsylvania
Related Event
1804-07-23 Freedom Seeking: Alexander
1803-12-20 Freedom Seeking: Jack
1804-03 Freedom Seeking: Azor
Primary Participants

Fifi
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02621
Role: Runaway
Age category: Adult
Status: Enslaved
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Jacques Philipe Rossignol de Grandmont (1760-1809)
Verbatim description from source:
"negro woman named Fifi; she is a short, fat, round faced wench, speaks the English language badly and is neat in her dress and appearance"
Additional Participants

Jacques Philipe Rossignol de Grandmont (1760-1809)
Person identifier: NJS-PER-02618
Role: Enslaver, Advertiser

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