Murray (b. ? - d. ?)
MSA SC 5496-51299
Fled from slavery, Talbot County, 1858
Biography:
An African-American slave named Murray fled from his owner, William Hayward of Talbot County, in March of 1858. Little is known about Murray's life before or after this occurrence. County records do not reveal how he came into the possession of Hayward, or what his fate may have been after his attempt to flee. Murray was most likely one of the three male slaves that his owner reported for the 1850 Census.1 In November 1858, with seemingly little substantive evidence, the free black Daniel Mackey was convicted of "enticing and aiding" the man in his escape.2 Mackey was subsequently sold out of the state by the county court, yielding $950.3
William Hayward was among three
claimants, who sought
their portion of the profits. In his petition to the court, Hayward
claimed
to have paid William Bostick $250 to recover Murray.4
He would ultimately
receive a reimbursement of $178.50. The petition, though somewhat
vague,
seems to suggest that Bostick was successful in retrieving Hayward's
"property".5
The ages of Hayward's three male slaves in the 1860
Census do roughly coincide with those of the 1850
record.6 However, it is
difficult to confirm if Murray ever came
back into his master's possession or if he was able to make life for
himself
as a free man elsewhere.
Footnotes -
1. Ancestry.com, United States Federal Census, 1850, Slave Schedule, Easton, Talbot County, p. 2.
2. TALBOT COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Minutes), 1852-1859, November, 1858, The State of Maryland vs. Daniel Mackey. (page 2)
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Ancestry.com, United States Federal Census, 1860, Slave Schedule, Easton, Talbot County, p. 8.
|
Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!
|