July 10, 1776

Two Spanish iron workers ran away from the Batsto furnace in New Jersey: Francis Rodrigo, who also went by the name Joseph, and Francis Berrara. As noted in this advertisement offering a reward for their return, this was the second time Berrara had left the furnace. Another advertisement from one year earlier shows that he was one of four servants—one Portuguese men, two Frenchmen, and the Spaniard Berrara—who ran away from the furnace in the middle of the night. Ironwork was difficult, as evidenced by these men trying to escape their circumstances.

The Batsto furnace produced a variety of iron products, including pots, kettles, Dutch ovens, skillets, grist-mill rounds, weights, and mortars and pestles. Philadelphia newspapers frequently included advertisements for Batsto pig iron, the crude byproduct of iron production. As one July 1776 advertisement described it, the quality of Batsto pig iron was “too well known to need any recommendation.”

The Pennsylvania Gazette
Printed by Hall and Sellers

TEN DOLLARS Reward.

RUN away from Batsto Furnace, the Forks of Little Egg-Harbour, last night, 2 Spanish servant men, 1 of them named Francis Berrara, about 30 years of age, about 6 feet 2 inches high, black hair, brown eyes, and thin visage, takes a great quantity of snuff, his fire teeth remarkably wide, and has a down look; had on, and took with him, one blue cloth short coat, one light brown duffil under jacket, one pair new ozenbrigs trowsers, ozenbrigs shirt, half-worn shoes, half-worn hat with a broad brim. The other named Francis Rodrigo, but generally goes by the name Joseph, about 5 feet 5 or 6 inches high, yellow complexion, black hair, and brown eyes; had on, and took with him, one blue cloth short coat, light brown duffil under jacket, one pair dove coloured plush breeches, one pair new ozenbrigs trousers, ozenbrigs shirt, one pair half-worn shoes, and old hat. Whoever takes up the above runaways, and secures them in any goal, so that their master, Mr. JOHN COX of Burlington, may have them again, or delivers them at Batsto Furnace, shall receive the above reward, and reasonable charges.

JOSEPH BALL.
JUNE 24, 1776.

⁂ This is the second time Berrara has run away.