Toby
(b. circa 1727 - d. ?)
MSA SC 5496-51549
Fled from Slavery, Anne Arundel County, Maryland 1745, 1747
Biography:
Toby was an enslaved mulatto owned by John Brewer, a property owner near London Town.1 On Friday, July 19, 1745, Brewer posted a runaway advertisement in the Maryland Gazette for Toby saying that he left in the middle of May of the same year.
Toby was "about 17 Years old, small of Stature, is very ready at giving an Answer, and his right Hand, when he shuts it, seems cramp'd; he had on when he went a way a Fear-nothing Coat, with an Osnabrigs Shirt and Breeches."2 Brewer offered a twenty shillings reward if he was found in Anne Arundel County or a forty shillings reward if found in another county. The twenty or forty shillings rewards were to be "besides what the Law allows."3
It seems that Toby was caught the first time he ran away because on Tuesday, August 4, 1747, Brewer posted another runaway advertisement in the Maryland Gazette for Toby saying that he left on May 25, 1747.
Toby was described as "a short well fet Mulatto Fellow... about 20 Years of Age... He is very arch in giving Answers: His right hand has been hurt, fo that he can't well shut it. He had on a Fearnothing Pea Jacket, a light-colour'd Drugget Vest, a Pair of red Ever lasting Breeches, and a coarse brown Shirt; but may have stole other Cloathing, for he is Rogue enough to do it."4 He offered the same reward of twenty shillings or forty shillings "besides what the Law allows" as he did two years before.5
However, Toby does not appear listed in John Brewer's inventory when he died in 1755.6 Thus, it is not known exactly what happened to Toby.Return to Toby's Introductory Page
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