Good morning Castor Rooters,
I received this today and thought all of you might enjoy this insight into
something
we might not have given much thought about. Person who wrote this article
stated she had been studying this subject for some time.
Jo Kester
Subject: Indentured Servants
Hi Folks,
This was on one of my other lists and I found it to be interesting.
Since I have seen the Hancock name several times listed as "indentured", I
thought you might enjoy reading about this.
The institution was not considered inhumane -- most of our Quaker ancestors
came to Pennsylvania and other colonies as indentured servants to more
well-to-do Friends. Still, it is certainly true that there were probably as
many miserable masters of indentured servants as there were miserable
slavemasters. A servant's time was certainly not his or her own during the
term of servitude; however, for the most part, those who hired themselves
out under such terms knew that, assuming all went well and there was no
sickness or pregnancy, then after a specific period of time, and the time
varied greatly, they would be free.
Generally speaking, servants could not marry during the term of their
indenture. If a female servant became pregnant, regardless of who the father
of the child might be, her term could be extended for the period of time
during which she was incapable of working due to pregnancy and any
consequences there of. If an indentured servant was accused of fathering a
child, he could face legal action and if the mother of the child was another
servant, the time she might miss on account of her condition could be added
to the servant-father's time as well as her own. Servants (and bound
apprentices) were also expected, if learning a trade, to keep all the
"mysteries" of the trade secret, a holdover from the medieval trade guilds.
Servants were usually to work for a set number of years at a specific trade,
if one was already had, or learning a trade could be part of the bargain.
Women usually were to be trained in the skills of housewifery, far more
demanding than anything housewives do today. I know this, because I have
been learning 18th century housewifery skills for the last 8 years. At the
end of the term, the servant would be given his or her freedom dues a suit
of clothes, sometimes along with hand-farming implements (grubbing hoe,
rakes,
etc.), and his or her freedom.
Those servants who came over to work for a specific person in this country
were one type of indentured servants. They generally received land as part
of their agreement, especially early on in the founding of Pennsylvania.
They were often kinsmen or members of the same community as their masters
who would pay their passage, and the time they served as to repay the
master for footing the bill of transatlantic travel.
There were also redemptioners, generally Germans and sometimes Scots, whose
passage was paid for by the shipmaster and then their contracts were sold to
the highest bidder when they landed in a port. Sometimes whole families came
over this way. The Pennsylvania Gazette is full of ads from people looking
for siblings with whom they had come over but as they were sold to masters
from different parts of the colony, they hadn't seen them in years.
Sometimes they never saw one another again.
Although the average age for ordinary children to be bound as an apprentice
to learn a trade was 14, poor children could be bound out as early as 18
months to 3 years of age for periods as long as 18-20 years, or until they
reached maturity (usually 21 for males, 18 for females). I have a list of
indentured servants who were bound out under the guidance of the Guardians
of the Poor of the City of Philadelphia (1752-1799--the time period in which
I am interested in is limited solely to the 17th and 18th century, so I
don't go beyond 1799)to residents of Chester and later Delaware County. Some
of the trades to be learned were weaving, shallop fishing, husbandry
(farming), housewifery,cordwaining, tobaccanist, shoemaker, joinery
(carpentry), tanning, and curriery (sp?). Sometimes all the indenture says
is that the child is to learn to read, write and cipher. or to read, sew,
knit, and spin, especially in the indentures before 1762.
After that time, the expectation changed to specify the freedom dues as
well, such as "Farmer, read, write, cipher, 2 compleat suits of apparel, one
to be
new" or "Read, write, cypher to rule of 3, spade, axe, grubbing hoe, and
sickle, freedom." In the case of Anne Callins who was indentured in 1768 for
15 years to William Moore of West Caln, she was to be trained in
"housewifery,to be taught to read, write, and cipher, and sew, knit and
spin, and to have the customary freedoms." Elizabeth Baley in 1770 was bound
to Matthew Taylor of Edgmont for 15 years and she was to be taught
"housewifery, sew, knit, and spin, to read in the Bible, and write a legible
Hand." Gabriel Stevenson was bound for six years in 1770 to Thomas Swain of
Ridley who was to provide Gabriel with 12 months of school six months of
which were to be in the last year of his term. In 1779 Thomas Bubridge
(possibly Burbridge) was bound to Edward Horne of Darby and was to learn
"the trade of a farmer or fuller, read the Bible, write a legible hand, and
cipher as far as the Rule of 3, with the customary dues." Edward Hoope was
bound in 1799 for 3 years to John Jones of Radnor, "to be taught the art &
misery of a mariner."
Undoubtedly, many of these children became like members of the family. Not
surprisingly, some probably opted to bolt at the first opportunity. There
were many advertisements in local papers, primarily the Pennsylvania
Gazette, the Pennsylvania Evening Post, and the Virginia Gazette. These
advertisements, while necessarily subjective, often provide a detailed
description of facial features, hair color, height, and the clothing the
person "had on and took with" him or her. The clothing descriptions alone
give a fascinating look at the wide variety of clothing worn (and stolen) by
runaway servants.
Karen Mullian
booboopies(a)aol.com
Co-editor, Had On and Took With Her, Runaway Female Servant Advertisements
in the Pennsylvania Evening Post, 1774-1784.