An Act for bringing in Run-away Negroes & Incouragement of such who shall bring them in

Whereas several Negroes are now run away and lurk in ye woods to the great detriment of their owners and all ye rest of ye Inhabitants of this Island; and for as much as all other Colonies have wholesom penall Laws for restraining such Runaways; for correcting them when taken, and encouragement of such who shall take them, 

Bee it therefore ordained and enacted and it is ordained an enacted by ye authority aforesaid that such Negroes who shall absent themselves from your Masters Service or runn away for ye space of three months, shall upon proofe be immediately executed, by order from two of the next justices of ye peace, and ye owner for the Loss of such Slaves so executed shall be reimbursed out of ye Common stock, And that what person soever shall bring in such slave or slaves who shall be found to have been run away ye said space of time, or above one month shall have for his pane, & encouragement six hundred pounds of Sugar or Tobacco; And if ye Negro shall be executed ye publique shall pay the said Summ if not the Owner or Proprietor of the said Negro or Negroes; And it is further provided, That if any Negro shall be killed in ye taking, whether he hath been run away less or more time ye country to pay the Proprietor, and ye Consideration of each Negroes death to be the sum of 3000 pounds of Sugar or Tobacco, and if any Master of Proprietor shall conceal or take again any Runaway Negro who hath deserved death as above, he or they so concealing the same and not prosecuting ye said Slave according to ye Intent of this Act shall forfeit and immediately pay to ye publique 5000 pounds of Sugar or Tobacco. 

Dated at St. Johns the ninth day of July 1680

Editorial Note: Any abbreviations found in the original of this law have been spelled out in full for clarity.