1794-Mar.: A public auction was held in Kingston, Jamaica, to sell the “Sundry old Cloathes” belonging to Newport Bowers following his death in the workhouse.

1794-Mar.: A public auction was held in Kingston, Jamaica, to sell the “Sundry old Cloathes” belonging to Newport Bowers following his death in the workhouse. After the British captured the Juno, a vice-admiralty court had refused to recognize the freedom of the black passengers and sold them. Bowers, despite being born free in Massachusetts, was relegated to the Kingston workhouse where he perished. His fate mirrored that of other “masterless” blacks like Pedro Bailly and John Paine who were caught in the gears of colonial justice. The brief, tragic adventure of Newport Bowers illustrated the immense difficulty of maintaining long-distance communication and personal liberty for people of color during this era.