Story Of Isaac Wilson Blacksmith’s Shop (1785-1828)

Written by: New Jersey State Library

It was Lisses Bateau who put him up to it.  He did not like his situation with the Manning Family and persuaded him to run with him.  It was that hot July of 1770, and it was had to work over the anvil in the heat, especially in the clothes my owner, Andrew Myer, made me wear.  Can you imagine a brown cloth coat, blue breeches, stockings, and a wool hat in summer?  People thought they were not human and they wanted them to cover up our brown skin.  He let Lisses do the talking so no one would recognize me by my lisp (speech impediment, they called it) and pulled that damned hat over that funny spot of grey hair on my forehead.  They only offered 40 shilling reward for our returned.  Thats all they thought they were worth as a skilled blacksmith.  They were wrong go better in the city where they were headed.