This year’s “history I read on vacation” post is on newspaper notices of runaway women.
[content: domestic violence]
Early newspapers published notices of things people wanted to make each other aware of in an era before missing persons reports or social media, and someone collected 60 years worth of the Pennsylvania Gazette’s 18th century ads to do with women. Most of them are notices by a man that his wife has left him, a sort of announcement of the common-law end of a marriage. Legal divorces may have been rare, but separations apparently weren’t.
A typical example: “The subscriber hereby forewarns all persons from trusting his wife Odilla Tailer on his account, for he is determined that he will not be answerable for any debts of her contracting. George Tailer”
A basic version of such notices were still appearing in American newspapers as late as the 1940s:
Aside from a notice not to let one person buy stuff on the other’s tab, the notices often include details I wasn’t expecting in a newspaper ad, about adultery, theft, and unspecified bad behavior.
“My wife Elizabeth Gilmore, after having robbed me of a considerable part of my property, hath eloped from my bed and board, without just cause, and now lives with her son, in a very indecent and unbecoming way”
“My wife Catherine hath eloped from my bed and board, and taken with her considerable of my property, and otherwise behaved herself in a scandalous manner by being constantly in liquor.”
“Whereas my wife Sarah hath committed adultery, and for that cause I am now prosecuting a libel for a divorce from the said Sarah from the bands of matrimony. John Knight”
Much more rarely, a wife publishes a similar ad:
“Since my husband Jacob Jackle left me these two years and a half, after misbehaving himself greatly…I shall not live with him any more nor pay anything for him. Elizabeth M. Jackle.”
Law
The need for such notices reflects English common law of coverture, or wives not having separate legal status from their husbands. This meant their property, debts, and obligations were typically owned by their husbands.
More on the context of marriage and divorce at the time from Jessica Bryant:
“For people in unhappy marriages, desertion was ‘the easiest method to quit a miserable situation.’ There were no court fees, there was no potential for denial, and after a specific period the abandoned spouse could use the desertion as grounds for a valid divorce. . . . Before the existence of no-fault divorces, someone had to take the blame, and the person who did faced a worse position in society after divorce.”
I couldn’t find if it was actually illegal to harbor runaway wives, but some ads certainly point toward this. Perhaps because she was essentially stolen property.
“…her said husband will pay no debts of her contracting from the date above, and will prosecute any person who harbours the said Elizabeth, or keeps any of the goods or moveables.”
In another ad, readers “…are forbid to harbour or conceal her, at their Peril.”
Some ads are clear that the husband misses the labor his wife provided:
“My wife Letty Taylor has, from time to time, threatened to take on in the stores, and where she can take on, debt to that degree to make a servant of me; also has eloped any sevictude in my house, as a housewife ought to do.”
Some of the ads complain that the children were left behind, while others complain that the children were taken away. If I understand right, fathers held legal ownership of the children.
In some cases, it seems a separation agreement was underway but broke down:
“Whereas John, the husband of Mary Fenby, hath advertis’d her in this Paper, as eloped from him, &c., though ‘tis well known , they parted by Consent, and agreed to divide their Goods in a Manner which he has not yet been so just as to fully to comply with, but detains her Bed and Wedding Ring.”
What happened next?
Most of the notices don’t suggest that any kind of reconciliation is in store: “my wife Hannah hath eloped from me without any just cause, and refuses to return and live with me again.”
Other times reconciliation is offered: “If said Jane returns to her family at New York, she may depend upon being received by her husband, and all animosities buried in oblivion.”
Occasionally, notices are retracted: “Whereas Samuel Cochran, of Tinnicum township, Bucks county, lately forbid all persons from trusting his wife Elizabeth on his account, she having eloped from him: This therefore serves to give notice that she is returned to him, and may be credited, as usual, on his account from the date hereof.”
The other side of the story
There must be a long story (with at least two sides) behind each of these notices, and occasionally we see a second episode when a woman or her friends publish a rebuttal.
1753: “Whereas subscriber, wife of Doctor William Leddel, of Elizabeth-Town, was advertised last week in this paper, as having eloped from her husband’s bed and board, which is known by the major part of the people to be false; she hereby gives notice that the reason of her leaving him was, that her life was in danger from the ill usage she received from him; that he kept another woman by whom he had two children, and having spent Four Hundred and Fifty Pounds Sterling, of her money, obliged her to leave his house. Louise Leddel”
Sometimes it’s not clear who left whom.
“Whereas William Mack, of Carol County, Husband of Ann Mack, is about to transport himself to Ireland; and he the said William Mack has falsely accused his said wife for eloping from him, by putting her on the publick Prints; These are therefore to forewarn all Masters of Vessels to carry off said William Mack at their Peril until he gives security for the Maintenance of his wife and children, not having left them any Thing to subsist on.”
Adam publishes in July 1785: “Whereas my wife Charity has without cause, eloped from my bed and board, and persists in a resolution not to live with me…whereas she may be influenced to such disorderly practices, by counsel and encouragement of ill-disposed people, all persons are hereby forewarned against harbouring or countenancing her in any respect, that she may be convinced of the indecency and impropriety of her behavior, and return to her duty. Any person offending against this notification, may expect to be dealt with as the law directs. Adam Barr.”
Charity replies the next month: ”Whereas the subscriber, wife of Adam Barr, much to her grief, has found her name published in the papers by her husband, accusing her of eloping from him without any cause: If being often beat and abused in a most cruel manner, thrown in the fire, sometimes almost strangled by him, at other times thrown on the floor and stamped on, swearing he would murder her, and other ill treatment, which disabled her from getting out of bed for several days, suffering both black and white servants to abuse her with ill language, and when her mother came to see her, he in a furious manner turned both her and her mother out of doors. If such cruel usage, from a man who ought to have been her best friend, be not sufficient cause for leaving him, she leaves the impartial to judge. Charity Barr.”
Word choice
I’m not clear on whether people were using a specific definition of “elope.” It once meant “a wife running away with a lover” but it seems to be the generic term for “running away” in these ads, even without a lover. One writer publishes a correction after saying that his wife “eloped” but he meant to say “absenting”, so perhaps he meant to withdraw the implication of adultery.
There’s a lot of “bed and board”: Medieval English wedding vows included a wife’s promise to be compliant “in bed and at board,” board meaning table, by extension “at meals” or “in the household.”
Legal divorces
Apparently divorces were filed as bills with the legislature at one point, which indicates how rare they must have been. These too were announced in the newspaper.
“State of Pennsylvania
In General Assembly, Nov. 21, 1780
The report made yesterday on the Petition of Giles Hicks, Captain Lieutenant in the 10th Pennsylvania regiment, praying to be divorced from his wife Hester, by reason of her infidelity and infamous conduct, &c. was read the second time, and being considered, it was Resolved, that the said Giles Hicks be permitted to bring in a bill to divorce him from his said wife Hester, agreeable to the prayer petition, he, the said Giles Hicks, giving previous notice of his at least three weeks, design and this permission, news-paper printed in the City of Pennsylvania Gazette, and Weekly Advertiser. Philadelphia.
In Consequence of the above resolve, I do hereby give public notice, that I have petitioned the Honourable House of Assembly, for a from Hester Hicks, alias M’Ddaniel, for which purpose a Divorce bill is depending before the House, of which said Hester Hicks, alias M’Daniel may take notice, in order to make her objections, if any she hath, why said bill should not be passed into a law. Giles Hicks, Captain Lieutenant 10th Pennsylvania Regiment.”
Other odds and ends of community notices
Another woman publishes that she was accused of stealing some pails of butter from an inn, and gave her name as Elizabeth Holmes “in order to extricate myself”, but now admits that she is really Elizabeth Warrier and wishes to clear the name of Elizabeth Holmes from “the aspersion of her character.” (Presumably under pressure from Elizabeth Holmes and friends.)
The overseers of the poor also publish bounties for catching women who have abandoned babies, presumably so they can make the woman care for the baby rather than leaving it as a public charge.
1755: “Whereas a new-born male child, on the 31st day January last, early in the morning, was laid secretly at the door of the house of Mr. James Burnside, of Little Cot, in the county of Northampton; this serves to acquaint all persons, that whoever will discover and make known unto any of his Majesty’s justices of the peace for said county the mother of said child, so that she may be prosecuted according to the law, shall receive from the Overseers of township, in said county, the sum of Ten Pounds reward.
George Gray, Overseer of the poor.”
And the prize for creative writing goes to Thomas Thomas:
1744: “Notice is hereby given to all good People to whom these Presents shall come, of a strolling Woman who goes under the name of Elizabeth Castle, alias Morrey. She pretends to be a School-Mistress, Tayloress, and Staymaker, Embroiderer and Doctoress. She is of little Stature, high Shouldered, grey Eyed, and very well Qualified in Lying, Cheating, Defrauding, Swearing, Drunkenness, Tale-Bearing, Backbiting, Michief-making among Neighbors, and is reported to be a Thief. She carries with her a Quantity of Pieces that shine like Gold, by which Means she hath deceived several Women and Children to their great Prejudice. She squeaks when she speaks, and hath done Damage in Newtown, Chester County. This is but little to what might be said within Bounds of Truth. Thomas Thomas”
Wow! I never knew “The Personals” had such a history!