Chiefly of interest with these escapees is that so few owners of white servants wished to be identified as servant owners. I am intentionally looking at these lists before searching those individual listings that remain extant as in investigative exercise. Before this project is over the individual advertisements of many of these poor souls will be reproduced as part of this resource.
Of particular interest here is one of the reasons for identifying a “runaway” as “unidentified,” for that thieving Irishman Henry O’Neal seems to have had an unidentified accomplice, who would presumably, should he be recovered, pay for his crime via a term of service to Henry's anonymous master. Take notice that that sly, Irish bastard also went by a nickname, Harry. Catch him!
On a more subdued note, poor Margaret Barnes, had somehow earned the nickname "Hopping Peg." I hope this moniker adhered to her for posterity due to her lack of "virtue." However, it is very likely that she had to get along with a cane or peg leg, as numerous of the runaway servant listings describe permanent injuries resulting from the person's service.
Do note that nicknames tend to take a year or so to develop in the modern workplace and that the existence of such in these lists would indicate that these folks where "known characters" on the plantation and were not escaping immediately off the boat.
Griffin, John MG, 21 Oct. 1747
Barnes, Margaret als. Hopping Peg MG, 11 Nov. 1747
Fletcher, Thomas MG, 24 Feb. 1748
Cooke, Richard MG, 2 Mar. 1748
Carter, Edward MG, 6 Apr. 1748
O’Neal, Henry als. Harry, stole horse MG, 13 Apr. 1748
Unidentified, stole horse MG, 13 Apr. 1748
Crampton, Benjamin MG, 20 Apr. 1748
McKeddie, Daniel Virginia, stole clothes MG, 15 June 1748
Camm, William MG, 6 July 1748
Bowing, Edmund MG, 20 July 1748
Charlton, Edward MG, 27 July 1748
Tomlin, John MG, 7 Sept. 1748
Lawrence, Richard MG, 7 Sept. 1748
Stokes, Robert MG, 14 Sept. 1748
Purfield, John , stole clothes MG, 21 Sept. 1748
Kent, John , stole clothes MG, 21 Sept. 1748
Key, John MG, 2 Nov. 1748
Woodley, John MG, 3 May 1749
Benem, William MG, 24 May 1749
Philips, John als. Gorman MG, 13 Sept. 1749
Dundess, James MG, 15 Nov. 1749
Eltheridge, Francis MG, 13 Dec. 1749
Brown, Charles als. Burgess MG, 24 Jan. 1750
Sheats, John MG, 31 Jan. 1750
Burman, William, stole horse MG, 21 Feb. 1750
Wallace, Michael MG, 21 Feb. 1750
Davis, John MG, 18 Apr. 1750
Old, John als. Wood MG, 18 Apr. 1750
Jones, James MG, 9 May 1750
