Page 28 - Swann Galleries - Printed & Manuscript African Americana- Sale 2308 - March 21, 2013

31 ● (SLAVERY AND ABOLITION.)
“A Good Likeness of Sancho a
Negro.” A woodcut (2 x 11⁄
8 inches) with
a five inch long description in an adver-
tisement for a runaway slave appearing in
the Columbian Sentinel for October 7,
1807. Four pages folio, removed from a
larger volume.
Boston, 1807 [800/1,200]
The owner of Sancho, the runaway slave in this
rather elaborate newspaper advertisement was
Winthrop Sargent (1753-1820), American
patriot and officer in the Revolution, politician,
writer, member of the Federalist Party and
Governor of the Mississippi Territory. What
makes this advertisement so extraordinary is
Sargent’s belief that perhaps Sancho might have
been carried off and not runaway at all. Sargent
is effusive in his statement of affection for
Sancho on behalf of the entire family as well as
the other servants. “He had learned the trade of
a Barber and is in every respect a most accom-
plished servant for a gentleman or a family; was
born and educated in his master’s house;
endeared to him and his mistress and his own
wife and children, as well as the numerous
blacks of his Master’s Plantations, by long,
affectionate and faithful service.” He states that
if Sancho did runaway, and voluntarily came
home, he would be welcomed with open arms
and no punishment. However, if he did indeed
flee, Sargent is offering $50 to the person who
returns him—and “no expense will be spared
to punish those who might be harboring him.”
31
32 ● (SLAVERY AND ABOLITION—MARYLAND.) 100 Dollars REWARD.
Letterpress runaway slave poster, 85⁄8 x 97⁄8 inches, printed on laid paper; contemporary ink
notation at the bottom: “paid 3.50 to me.” Maryland, 1825 [4,000/6,000]
“Ranaway from the subscriber’s farm, on the Head of South River, in Anne Arundel county
on the 30th inst. Negro man CHARLES, who calls himself CHARLES BUTLER; he is
about 26 years of age, six feet one inch high, the cloathing he had on when absconded, was
Domestic Cloth Coat and Osnaburg shirt and trousers, and old wool hat. I will give the above
reward, and all reasonable charges if brought home, or secured in any jail so that I get him
again. Thomas Snowden. May 30th, 1825.” The Snowden name is as well known in
Maryland as the Cabot name is in Massachusetts. The Snowdens were an extremely wealthy
Welsh family and the first of them in America was Richard “The immigrant”, who came to
Maryland after serving under Cromwell. The exact date of his arrival is uncertain, but records
do show that in January of 1669, Richard Snowden and Thomas Linthicombe paid 11,000
pounds of tobacco to a George Yates of Anne Arundel County. In return they received 500
acres described as “The iron mine” at the head of the South River, on the west branch of said
river. (underlining by the cataloguer).