November 13, 1766

The Pennsylvania Gazette

RUN away, the 29th of October, from the Subscriber, living at Christine Bridge, Newcastle county, a convict servant woman, named Alice McCarty, alias Eleanor Brown, about 35 years of age, born in Ireland, has brown hair, very lusty and fat;

had on, and took with her, an old brown camblet gown, 2 short gowns, the one white linen, the other dark calicoe, both new, a cream coloured skirt, a red quilt, 2 check aprons, a pair of neat made mens shoes, and a pair of diamond cut silver buckles, marked E. H. a linen handkerchief, spotted red and white, coarse sheet and blanket, and a pair of womens shoes, all which she stole when she went away; it is supposed she is in company with a man, his name unknown. Said servant has been several times whipped in the workhouse, in Philadelphia, and whipped for theft at the public post. [1]

N.B. The master of the servant forgot to put his name to his advertisement. [2]

1. Judicial whippings were limited to 30 or 40 lashes in most provinces. At this time, the lash limit for Pennsylvania is not known by this author. The classic work prisons of the first half of the 20th century, derive from the private Quaker work house as much as from the king’s or municipal goal. Alice woman would have been doing a term of 14 years.

2. The owner also neglected to post a reward offer.

A Partial Exhumation of the American Dream