Today we are Indentured Servants. Most americans owe thousands of
dollars to lenders.
Indentured Servants and Transported Convicts
White indentured servants came from all over Great Britain. Men, women,
and sometimes children signed a contract with a master to serve a term
of 4 to 7 years. In exchange for their service, the indentured servants
received their passage paid from England, as well as food, clothing, and
shelter once they arrived in the colonies. Some were even paid a salary.
When the contract had expired, the servant was paid freedom dues of
corn, tools, and clothing, and was allowed to leave the plantation.
During the time of his indenture, however, the servant was considered
his master?s personal property and his contract could be inherited or
sold. Prices paid for indentured servants varied depending on skills.
While under contract a person could not marry or have children. A
master?s permission was needed to leave the plantation, to perform work
for anyone else, or to keep money for personal use. An unruly indentured
servant was whipped or punished for improper behavior. Due to poor
living conditions, hard labor, and difficulties adjusting to new
climates and native diseases, many servants did not live to see their
freedom. Often servants ran away from their masters. Since they often
spoke English and were white, runaway servants were more difficult to
recapture than black slaves. If runaway servants were captured, they
were punished by increasing their time of service.
Since indentures were not recorded, information about indentured
servants at Stratford is scarce. Most information has been taken from
advertisements for runaway servants and court records. Some of the male
indentured servants were highly skilled laborers, holding such jobs as
bricklayer, joiner, plasterer, cook, clerk, gardener, coachman, butcher,
blacksmith, and musician. Female indentured servants performed domestice
chores like laundry, sewing, and housekeeping.
Children also were indentured. William Gunnell, Jr., was born in Great
Britain, probably Scotland, in 1705. He and his family sailed together
to Virginia. They became the indentured servants of Richard Lee in
Westmoreland County. William had his tenth birthday in November 1715.
His master Richard Lee died soon after. William?s indenture was
inherited by Richard Lee?s son Thomas. He still had five years and
eleven months to work. William was one of Thomas Lee?s clerks. He ran
errands and, if his writing and numbers were neat and easy to read,
helped keep accounts. William shared a bed and a room with some of the
other servants. He became free when he turned sixteen in 1721.
Transported convicts, both men and women, were sold to plantation owners
as another form of labor. One-fourth of the British immigrants to the
colonies were covicts. Most of these convicts were male, young,
unskilled, and poor. The usual crime was grand larceny. Generally, the
only people exiled were those judges felt could be rehabilitated.
Convicts performed the same type of work as indentured servants but were
less trusted. Their length of service was usually longer than that of
indentured servants. Like indentured servants and slaves, convicts
frequently ran away. Political prisoners also were shipped to the
colonies. Most of these were convicted following religious persecutions.
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John Kerry in the White House!
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