Phillis

Cheshire CountyWomen’s historySlavery18th century
Written By Jennifer Carroll

Phillis (b.1766)

Fitzwilliam, NH

In November of 1784, 18-year old Phillis ran away from her enslaver, Sylvanus Reed of Fitzwilliam, NH.  In a runaway ad in the Columbian Informer gazette, Phillis was described as a servant Negro girl, 5 feet in height, “thick set,” and with a very sore finger on her left hand.  Reed offered a reward of three sand coppers and charges paid for her return.  

Columbian Informer or Cheshire Journal (Keene, NH), Tue, Nov 18, 1794

At the time of her enslavement, Col. Sylvanus Reed, a veteran of the American Revolution, had taken over the operation of his father’s inn on Military Road in Fitzwilliam. In 1795, Reed moved to Cambridge. It’s unclear whether or not Phillis was able to run away successfully.

 

GENEALOGY

PHILLIS was born around 1766.

 

SOURCE MATERIALS

Columbian Informer or Cheshire Journal (Keene, NH), Tue, Nov 18, 1794 — https://www.genealogybank.com/

Norton, John Foote, and Joel Whitemore. The History of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, from 1752-1887. New York, Burr printing house, 1888. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/01007999/.

Jennifer Carroll
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