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Jack Hammond, Son of Esther Oxendine and Jesse Hammond – Johnston County, North Carolina, 1802: Runaway Notice and Indentured Servitude of a Free-Born Mulatto

Runaway Notice Links Lumbee Oxendine-Hammond Ancestors




In 1802, a runaway notice was issued for Burrel, aka Jack Hammond, a free-born “Mulatto” man in Johnston County, North Carolina. He was the son of Esther Oxendine and Jesse Hammond, both free people of color. Despite being born free, Jack was bound out as an indentured servant and later punished as a slave following a burglary conviction. His left ear was cropped, and he was branded with a "T" on each cheek, as recorded in the court documents of the time.

Jack's family, including his brother Isaac, moved to Downing Creek, a region historically associated with early Lumbee settlement. This record highlights the significance of the Oxendine and Hammond surnames in Lumbee ancestry, and provides valuable insight into the lives of free people of color navigating the legal and social complexities of early 19th-century North Carolina.

Historical Context

  • Born free in Johnston County, NC, to Esther Oxendine and Jesse Hammond.
  • Bound out to Isham O'Neal, a house carpenter, then to William Hinyard, a farmer.
  • Indicted for burglary in 1801; sentenced to corporal punishment despite free birth.
  • Family relocated to Downing Creek, strengthening the connection to Lumbee ancestry.

Full Article Transcription

One hundred dollars reward

ONE HUNDRD[sic] DOLLARS REWARD. I Will pay prompt on delivery, to whosoever shall apprehend and deliver to me in person, well tied or ironed, Burrel, alias Jack Hammond, a Mulatto Man about 26 Years of Age, well built, of common Stature. Among other Histories given by and of himself the following is one. That he was born in Johnston County in this state, of free Parents, Mulattoes, that his Mother's name before Marriage was Esther Oxendine, that his Father's name was Jesse Hammond, that he was bound out to Isham O'Neal, a House Carpenter, who died about 18 months before his Indentures expired; that he was placed with and served out the balance of his time with a Mr. William Hinyard, a Farmer who lived at Little River Bridge, 10 miles below Smithfield; that a Colonel Samuel Smith was the Magistrate of Johnston who bound him. That his Father, Mother, and all their offspring removed out to Downing Creek, about nine Years ago, and about three Years before O'Neal his first Master died; excepting a Brother, a Fiddler of the name of Isaac, who about six years ago, removed to Fayetteville. In September of the Year 1801, this Fellow, Burrel, alias Jack Hammond, was indicted, as the Slave of Luke Robinson, the Master present, a verdict of guilty on a charge of burglary was brought in, and between the verdict and sentence, I bought him in fact, in the Court House openly to which circumstance perhaps he owes his Life, the Court however sentenced him to be cropped the left Ear, and to be branded T on each Cheek, after which I took him Home, and on his pretending to have been born free, some short time after, I took Notes of his own account of himself, and laboured some Weeks by writing repeatedly, by Post and otherwise, to the following Gentlemen, to whom he said he was well known, to wit: Hardy Bryan, Joseph Goon, John Carrol, Willis Watson, and Matthias Handy, all in Johnston County, some in Smithfield praying to be informed whether or not they knew him, and if they did, whether or not he was born of free Parents. Receiving no answer from any of them, and being much at a loss whether to consider him a Slave or not, for some Weeks more, willing however, to err on the side of Mercy if at all, I turned him out of Irons, and after some short time, without his being under any restraint, if Free-born, and without impairing my Title if a Slave-born, he was by a Seth Hovey, Esq. one of the Justices for Hyde County, secured to me by Indenture, so that all Events, I have a Claim to his Services, unless in the Event of some better title than either of mine appear. He received the Sentence of the Court, and the left Ear is cropped, and branded T on each Cheek, though much blotched. He is, as far as legally can be done by the Justices considering him a Slave, OUTLAWED, and on proof of his being killed in flight or resistance, I will pay Fifty Dollars. And I earnestly invite any Person pretending Title, and more especially if they have him in possession, to give me information thereof, in order that we may fairly compare Titles, I feel chiefly concerned as a Friend of Order, and declare that I think it dangerous for such a Villian to go at large, or that he should find a lurking place, and have a hope that every good Man will endeavour to apprehend him. T. ALDERSON. Washington, Beaufort County, 15th November, 1802.


Significance for Lumbee Genealogy

This document provides a rare early 19th-century link between the Oxendine and Hammond families and the Lumbee community, demonstrating:

  • The presence of free people of color before the Civil War.
  • The risks free-born individuals faced in a society that often treated them as enslaved.
  • Migration and settlement patterns of families that became foundational to the Lumbee community.

Primary Sources & References


Conclusion

The Jack Hammond runaway notice provides a critical glimpse into the lives of free people of color in early 1800s North Carolina. For descendants and researchers tracing Lumbee ancestry, it underscores the value of court records, runaway notices, and migration patterns in reconstructing family histories.

Tags: Lumbee, Oxendine, Hammond, free people of color, North Carolina history, genealogy, 1800s, Downing Creek

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