(SLAVERY AND ABOLITION RUNAWAY) One Hundred Fifty Dollars

Sale 2204 - Lot 55

Price Realized: $ 3,600

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000

(SLAVERY AND ABOLITION--RUNAWAY.) One Hundred & Fifty Dollars Reward, Ran Away . . . Runaway slave poster, 12x9-3/4 inches; two inch diagonal paper repair to the lower right corner, with several letters replaced, top corners repaired with no loss to text; a couple of age-spots; paper lightly and evenly toned. Bladensburg, Prince George's County, circa 1810

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Additional Details

a rare and exceptionally detailed runaway slave poster, advertising for the return of three slaves from the Berry family of Prince George's County, Maryland. "Jim, Sam and Tom," who apparently all ran away together. "Jim is a bright mulatto, about 35 years old, 5 feet 5 or 6 inches high, has a full suit of hair, and is rather good looking; was purchased from the estate of the late Dr. John Wooton, near Queen Anne; has a mother at Mr. Barton Duvalls' in Anne Arundel county, but I have reason to believe he is in the neighborhood from which he was sold. Sam is about the same age, 5 feet 9 or 10 nches high, copper color, quite stout, stoops in his shoulders, wore whiskers, rather homely and speaks indistinctly." The poster goes on to describe Tom, who is "very black . . . a little deaf, and not at all prepossessing." We have dated this poster based on information in the census of slaves for 1805 belonging to "the late Mrs. Mary Berry" mentioned in the text.