Ned
Enslaved by Samuel Thomas
Ned is one of two enslaved people tasked with operating the ferry boat between modern day Perryville and Havre de Grace in 1781. He, along with his fellow enslaved ferry operator Davy, attempted to escape from the Lower Susquehanna Ferry on April 17, 1781, a day after transporting the Marquis de Lafayette and 1,200 Continental soldiers across the Susquehanna River.
The escaped slave ad published in the Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser describes Ned as:
about 35 years of age, country-born, about 5 feet 6 or 7 inches high, has full eyes, big legs, and one ankle larger than the other. [Ned's] clothing is country-made tow shirts, and full'd cloth or linsey jacket and breeches; but as [he has] other clothes, and money, may change [his] dress.
His attempt to seek freedom was unsuccessful. A few years later both Ned and Davy are listed on Samuel Thomas' 1783 inventory of goods and chattles. An inventory is a detailed listing of Samuel's personal property and slaves at the time of his death.
Associated Keepers
Biographical Information
Born:
Parents:
Unknown
Spouse:
Marital status unknown
Children:
Unknown
Lived:
Perry Point, Cecil County, MD
Died:
unknown
Additional Information
Source Information
Primary Sources
April 17, 1781
Escaped slave ad for Ned and Davy, enslaved to Samuel Thomas of Perry Point, located in modern day Perryville, Cecil County, MD.
Maryland Journal and Baltimore Advertiser Collection, 1778-1781. Collection of the Maryland State Archives. MSA SC 2830-2-2.
