W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1958 The Poor Apprentices of Boston: Indentures of Poor Children Bound out Apprentice by the Overseers of the Poor of Boston, 1734-1776 William Graham Millar College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Millar, William Graham, "The Poor Apprentices of Boston: Indentures of Poor Children Bound out Apprentice by the Overseers of the Poor of Boston, 1734-1776" (1958). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539624505. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-mghv-ct94 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TUB FOOt APPftfKTXCSS OF BOS TOM ' (< Indentures o f Boor Children Bound Out Apprentice By the 'Overseers ■ of the Boor of Boston, X734«*I7?6 Compiled., with an Introductory Bssay A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of History The College of w illisst and Mary In: Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master sof Arts by W. Crahaia M illar Ju ly , 1058 APPROVAL SHEET 'This thesis is submitted la partial fulfllliaerit of the requiremesiis for Hie degree of Master of Arts W» Graham M illar Approved: /tc</lti*cs t f j hmmm® M* CU&imm HaxoM t . Fowler#.- Hi.B, James M# Smith, Ptj*D July 1958 prhpacb 'Ute purpose of this thesis i$ threefold ; first, to present 4a tab­ ular form the essence of 693 indentures of poor children apprenticed by the Overseers of the Foor of Boston* Massachusetts* £tm 1734*1776) second* to pise# these indentures in their historical setting! and third* to shew how the pooxwappreatie eship laws of the Province of Massachusetts were carried out* ibe dates 1734-1776 were determined in part by the souicesi fox no indentures for poor diildren exist before 1734* 1 have chosen 1776 as the terminal date because it marks the end of the ^provincial” period in Massachusetts and because very few poor apprentices were bound out during the Revolution*. In fact, 1776 was the low point in the number of indentures from 1734 to 1803* My thanks are due to the following fox assistance* advice* and inspiration in the preparation of this thesis; to the College of William md Mary fox the graduate m&istmtsbMp which helped carry idle financial burdens of a year of study) and to Re* iawrence w. Ibvmer of the College and of the Institute of laxly American History and Culture for suggesting this topic and for undergoing with admirable fortitude my constant harass­ ment while it was in progress* the indentures here presented were taken from microfilm he secured from the City, _ of Boston for his own wofk. He kindly placed them at my disposal* I., must also egress my appreciation to Drs* Harold 1* Bowler and James, M.* Smith who served on my examining iv committee; to Hr# Richard t» Morton and the members of the Department of History of the College of william and Mary? and to Hr# tester J* Cappon and the staff of the Institute of Early American Bis tory and Culture# all of whom have given me the benefit of their wisdom and candor# Mr* Jaa es Servies and the staff of the eolle ge library have given valuable assistance In locating materials# Ho my parents* William and Margaret Miliar# who have given me con# sten t encouragement in a ll that 1 have tried to accomplish! t can hardly egress my debt; I cm never hope to repay it# Williamsbnrgt Virginia W%. Graham M illar July4 , 1053 axrsam Preface*, * * « iv Introductory Essay v ii The Indentures * * * * I Appendix At Voluntary lndentme&% 62 Appendix 8». table l :f Toms and Counties 63 table It*. Apprentice's tirades , _ 69 fable lit#. Masteti* Occupations 72 ta b le If* length of Indentures * 75 Bibliography 77 Vita 30 XhUlSTMTWm following Figure 1* Muster of Indentures of PoorChildren, by Sex .# *S* *//> Figure 2t Itaber of Boys Bound to trades * *, * f * , * SI Map of Massachusetts <1943) * * * , * ******* 30 JBTR043UCTORY ESSAY too* APPft®TICESHI3? BI BOSTON, 1734*1776 ram mmmncmBW m msvm$ i m - i m the indentures of poor children bound out as apprentices by the Overseers of the Boor of Boston were pasted# a t ■some indiscernible date* into six large votames of approximately two hundred numbered pages each* Volumne 1 covers the years i734~i?Si$ Volume 1I# 1752-1762$ Volume III* 1763-1760$ Volume IV# 1770-1779$ Volume V* 1780-1792$ and Volume VI* 1793- 1805# These records * which were only recently unearthed* have been micro- filmed* three volumes to each of two reels# In the preparation of this thesis the microfilm copies were utilised*. The original indentures are now housed in the office of the Clerk of the City of Boston* reJbaps some indication of the historical value of these records can be seen from the fact that, they represent one of .only two large collectiom of indenture# in the .United States* The other* numbering some two thousand contracts of indentured servants# is in Philadelphia# Only in England are there any other indentures- relating to the American, colonies* f One point must be made clear* In the eighteenth century# the word indenture was synonymous with contract; therefore Hie child ret* discussed here shot Id in so my be confused with what are usually referred to- as “In­ dentured servants, “ They were apprentices* Just as were those children m more fortunate circumstances whose parents bound them out to learn a trade* The only apparent difference was that these were poor diHdren* bound out by Hie overseers of the poor*. Prom 1734 to- 1776* the period covered here# there are exf ant 692 Indentures of poor Boston children bound out by the overseers* The forms* v i i i whidfe stain ed fairly constant during the entire period* differ slig h tly fro® those uted for voluntary indentures* ohe example shown here- is tlio indenture of Isaiah Thomas to Zachariafe FOWle* printer* of Boston* Thomas cool# fee Oast as the hero of a colonial Horatio Alger story* for he rose * from his position as a poor apprentice to become' m outstanding Mmldm.- publisher* a personal, friend of Franklin*Jefferson#and other Revolutionary leaders.| the author of a history of printing in America!!# and the founder’ 2 of the American Antiquarian Society* BUS INDENTURE iflBUSSSSXB m at (Jacob Wendell Andrew Oliver %qr, Isaac Walker £b&ie&e* Stoner John Tudor md William Phillips Gentlemen) Over­ seers of the 'Boor of the Tom of Boston in- the County of Suffolk in ggw Sjtglaad* by and with the Consent oFtwo of his Majesty’s Justices of^the Peace for Said County* Have placed and by these Presents do- place and bind out (Isaiah Thomas a poor £b£US belonging to said Boston unto Zacharlab Bowie of .Boston aforesaid Printer and to his Wife -and heirs) and with (them) after the Manner of an Apprentice to Dwell and Serve* from the Pay of these Presents* until the (Eig&h day of January which will be .in the year ofOur lord One thousand Seven hundred and Sixty-nine at which fine the said Apprentice if hiving w ill Arrive to the- Age df Twenty (hie years) During a ll which\fisse and Term* the said Apprentice (his) said Master (and Mistress) well and faith fu lly ’shall serve# Ctheir) Secrets he shall keep close* (th e ir5 (kim&andmeiits lawful and honest every where he-'shall gladly obey; he shall do no- damage to (his) said Master (etc*,) nor suffer it to be done by others, without let ting or giving seasonable notice thereof to (his) said Master (etc#) he shall not waste the goods of (his) said Master (etc*) nor lend them- unlawfully to. aayj a t Cards* Bice* or any other uateffitt Game or Games he shall not play* Fornication he shall not commit s. Matrimony (during the said- ¥'mm) he shall not contract t Taverns* Me^Hotises* or Places of Gaming fee ehall not taint or frequent# ’ Fro® the, service of (his) said Master (etc*) by Pay nor Night be shall not absent Chimlself ? but in -all Things and at att Times* he sh a ll> carry and behave (him) se lf towards (his) said Master (ete#> and all (theirs).as a good and faithful. Apprentice ought ten do (to big ut~ most Ability) during the 'Time or Tern aforesaid# And the said Master doth hereby Covenant and Agree- (for himself his Wife and feeler to teach or Cause the said Apprentice to be taught by the best way md means he can- the Art and Mistery of A P rinter, also to Read Write and Cypher*) And -also sh all and will* well and truly”find* allow to* md provide for the said Apprentice* sufficient m d tiiolesome Meat and Brink* with washing* lodging (and apparel) and other necessaries meet and convenient for such an. Apprentice* during all the Time or Tfera aforesaid* and at the Bad and Bscpiration thereof sh all (dis­ miss the said Apprentice with two good Suits of Apparrell for all p~x£s *af his Body Cue for the Lac d*s days the other for working dayCiSuiitablel-tolixie i s degree) W TESTMSfit the a aid parties have to these indentures interchangeably set their Bands and Seal* the (fourth) day o f (June) in the (29 th) fear of the- Eeipi of Our Sovereign; (Lord George- the Second King Over Great Britain eta*) Mmque Domini, One Ihousand Seven Hundred and (Fifty Six}* \ Signed Seated md delivered <-/ Czech* fowle) in Bresence of Cus) (Samuel Mdy) •(Will lam Seymour) CStiffoth Sat (Boston July m 1756) 3 (John Pnillips) (Justices (Assented to by} (John Bill) of the Peace) the forms used at f i r s t carried the information '^Overseers of the Poor of the Worn of Boston in, the Bounty of Suffplb In fe£ lagland# by and with .the Consent of two of his Majesty^ Justices of the fem e &r Said 4 County , n w ritten in by hand* These were probably standard indenture forms# which could be used for any apprentice#, whether bound voluntarily m by the town*, they were- procurable at most printing establishments.