John Allen (b. 1795 - d.
1864 )
MSA SC 5496-51288
Property Owner, Caroline County
Biography:
On August 10, 1852, Captain John Allen's slave, merely referred to as "negro boy Tom", fled from his owner. Allen was a sailor from Delaware, who was residing in Greensborough in Caroline County.1 Tom, who was 16 at the time of the escape, was the captain's only slave as of 1850.2 Allen also employed several other young men, including one free African-American, in his commercial maritime business. Slaves belonging to sailors were often priveleged in their access to the outside world and brief tastes of freedom that came with the experience. While the extent of Allen's operations are unclear, the boy undoubtedly picked up on various skills and avenues of escape during his time with the captain. Unfortunately, there are no runaway advertisements that might elaborate on Tom's participation in his owner's nautical enterprise or his related knowledge.
John Allen ignored, as many slaveowners did, the possibility that Tom was the active agent of his own flight. However, he still must have valued the boy quite highly as Allen pushed for at least two men to be prosecuted for "inducing" his slave to runaway. The first alleged accomplice was William Wix, a farmer also residing in the Greensborough area. The trial occurred in October of 1852, and ended with a not guilty verdict for the accused.3 Captain Allen would not be deterred in his pursuit of punishment. Allen's next target for retribution was George Dorty, for whom the court gave a formal indictment in March, 1853.4 This individual may be the Irish-born George Doherty who lived in nearby Delaware in 1850, or the George Dorrity living in Baltimore that same year.5,6 The docket indicates that the indictment was "non est", meaning that the court was unable to serve the papers.7 Official records contain no further mention of the case or of Allen's efforts. It is unclear what fate befell either Tom or George Doherty, but the captain appeared to never again own slaves. John Allen retired from seafaring shortly after those failed attempts, continuing to reside in Caroline County until his death in September, 1864.8
Footnotes -
1. Ancestry.com, 1850, United States Federal Census, Caroline County, Maryland, p. 65.
2. Ancestry.com, 1850, United States Federal Census, Slave Schedule, Caroline County, Maryland, p. 5.
3. CAROLINE COUNTY COURT (Minutes), The State of Maryland vs. William Wix, 12 October, 1852.
5. Ancestry.com, 1850, United States Federal Census, Baltimore, Ward 5, Maryland, p. 36.
6. Ancestry.com, 1850, United States Federal Census, Christiana Hundred, New Castle, Delaware p. 48.
7. State vs. Dorty.
8. CAROLINE
Researched and Written by David Armenti, 2011.
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