Slaveholders Listed on this Page
- Waples, Nathaniel (Enslaved persons: Sarah)
Enslavement Data
- Slaveholder Name: Waples, Nathaniel
City or Township:
County: Sussex County on Delaware
Occupation:
Notes:
- Enslaved Person's Name: Sarah
Age: "about 20 years of age"1756
Sex: Female
Date of Birth: circa
Description: "Black Negro Wench"
Status: Slave for life; self-emancipated in April 1775
Notes: Pregnant Sarah escaped from Waples' plantation on April 8, 1775. She escaped to and was hidden by an enslaved man named Peter, the father of her child, on a farm in neighboring Worcester County, Maryland. In the fall of 1775, the pair escaped together from the Maryland property. Waples placed the following ad for them more than six months later:
TEN POUNDS REWARD.
RAN AWAY from the subscriber's plantation, in Sussex County, on Delaware, on the 8th day of April, 1775; a black Negro Wench, by name SARAH, about 20 years of age, well made, and about 5 feet 5 or 6 inches high, with tolerable thick lips and a down look, had remarkable long wool on her head for a negro, which she usually tied on the top of her head:
had, and took with her, sundry good home made cloaths. The above Reward will be paid to any person who will deliver the said wench to the subscriber, living in Snow hill Town, Worcester County, Maryland, or to Burton Waples, living in Sussex County aforesaid; or EIGHT POUNDS if confined in any goal, so that the subscriber may get her again, with all reasonable charges paid by the public's humble servant,
NATHANIEL WAPLES.
N.B. It is supposed she left the county aforesaid about the latter end of October, or the first of November last, with a Negro fellow, named PETER, belonging to Thomas Robinson of the county aforesaid, who ran away about that time;
he is about 20 years of age, a thick well set fellow, and about 5 feet 6 inches high; it is imagined he had about 6 or 10 L. cash, and well cloathed;
he has remarkable hairy temple locks, unless cut off by shaving. It is well known that the said wench was harboured and kept by the fellow aforesaid during the interval aforesaid, and it was supposed she was with child when she ran away, by said fellow, and that they will try to pass for free Negroes and as husband and wife.
She can read.
N. WAPLES.
A longer feature article on the escape of Sarah and Peter may be found here.
Date of Record 29 May 1776
Source: The Pennsylvania Journal or Weekly Advertiser, 29 May 1776.
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