As the French and Indian War heated up, servants increasingly took advantage of the chaos on the frontier and the absence of Indian slave catchers to make their escapes. Unless a theft of clothes is mentioned, these runaways may be assumed to be barefoot. For this reason, many did not flee north or west, but south, making their way to the Carolina frontier.
Alexander, Daniel, Marsh Creek, William Boyd MG, 22 Nov. 1753
Bond, Peter, stole clothes, MG, 31 Jan. 1754
Taylor, William, MG, 7 Feb. 1754
Roberson, James, MG, 7 Feb. 1754
Hoafman, Martin, stole horse, MG, 14 Feb. 1754
Northwood, William, stole clothes MG, 14 Mar. 1754
Nichols, Nathaniel, stole clothes, MG, 14 Mar. 1754
Henry, John, MG, 14 Mar. 1754
Flack, John, MG, 11 Apr. 1754
Richards, George, MG, 18 Apr. 1754
Parker, Thomas, MG, 25 Apr. 1754
Wilcox, Walter, MG, 25 Apr. 1754
M’Clean, Ellin, MG, 25 Apr. 1754
Finneling, Nicholas, stole horse and clothes, MG, 25 Apr. 1754
Murphy, James, stole horse and clothes, MG, 25 Apr. 1754
Hamilton, Archibald, MG, 30 May 1754
Whorton, Robert, MG, 30 May 1754
Shefield, Is, Anne Arundelc MG, 30 May 1754
Ross, William, stole boat, MG, 4 July 1754
Whealor, Jonathan, MG, 22 Aug. 1754
Dale, George MG, 29 Aug. 1754
Cansday, Charles MG, 29 Aug. 1754
Oulton, John, Baltimore Iron Works, Charles Carroll, steel collar [1] MG, 5 Sept. 1754
Watkinson, Francis, MG, 5 Sept. 1754
Lord, James MG, 3 Oct. 1754
McGoyn, James, MG, 10 Oct. 1754
Edwards, John, stole clothes, MG, 12 Dec. 1754
Cady, John, stole clothes, MG, 12 Dec. 1754
Griffith, John, MG, 19 Dec. 1754
Musprate, Thomas, MG, 30 Jan. 1755
Notes
1. John Oulton was not the only man to escape from the Baltimore Iron Works with a collar on his neck. Iron collars had been replaced with steel it seems. But, just as in Master Tasker's day, the masters at the Baltimore Iron Works were well-placed to collar runaways once they had been apprehended. One may safely assume that escapees from the Iron Works wearing a collar had done so at least once before. It is difficult to imagine how irritating wearing such a thing would be and how easily John could be identified as a runaway. What would drive a man to escape with such poor prospects of success?
