Blacksmith's Apprentice (1777)

Post date: Feb 27, 2013 10:3:30 AM

In Kent Archives (reference CKS-P29/14/1/63) is an agreement for William Turner, a "Poor Child" from Birling to serve an apprenticeship to William Gibbons, a Wateringbury blacksmith.

Indenture

This indenture made the twenty second day of November in the eighteenth year of the reign of our sovereign lord George the third by Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the faith and so forth and in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Seven

Witnesseth that Thomas Ashdown and Edward Wirkham Church Wardens of the parish of Birling in the county of Kent and Thomas Cleaver and John Mannering Overseers of the poor of the said parish Have put and placed and by these presents Do put and place William Turner, a Poor Child belonging to and lawfully born in the said parish of Birling, (by and with his own consent testified by his signing and sealing hereof)apprentice to William Gibbons, Wateringbury in the said county of Kent Blacksmith with him to dwell and serve from the date of these presents for and during and until the said apprentice shall attain his full age of twenty one years.

During all which time and term the said Apprentice his said Master shall faithfully serve, his secrets keep, his lawful commands everywhere willingly do, he shall no damage to his said master nor permit it to be done by others but to his power shall prevent or forthwith give notice to his said master of the same, the goods of his said master he shall not wast nor lend them to any person without the consent, he shall neither buy or sell without his said Masters consent, Taverns or Alehouses he shall not frequent, at cards or dice or any other unlawful game he shall not play, Fornication he shall not commit , Matrimony he shall not contract nor absent himself from his said master’s service day or night without his consent but in all things as a good and faithful Apprentice shall demean and behave himself towards his said master and his during the said term. The said William Gibbons for the consideration aforesaid and for and in consideration of the sum of five pounds to him in hand well and truly paid by the said Churchwardens and Overseers out of the money given by Edward Godden Gentleman deceased for the putting out poor Children belonging to the said Parish of Birling to be Apprentices The Receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged The said apprentice in the Art and Trade of a Blacksmith which he the said William Gibbons now useth shall teach and instruct or cause to be taught and instructed in the best way and manner that he can And also shall and will find provide and allow unto and for the said apprentice good and wholesome and sufficient Meat Drink Washing Lodging Cloaths Apparel and all other necessaries during the said term and at the end of the said term shall and will make provide allow and deliver unto the said apprentice double apparel of all sorts good and new (that is to say) a good new suit for the Holy Days and another for the Working days the said Church Wardens and Overseers for themselves and their successors do hereby declare and agree that the said apprentice under and subject to the conditions of the will of the said Edward Godden is to be entitled to have receive and be paid by the church wardens and Overseers of the poor of the said Parish of birling for the time being the sum of Five Pounds at the end of this said Apprenticeship out of the money given by the said Edward Godden deceased for such purposes In Witness whereof the parties aforesaid to these present Indenture their hands and seals have set dated the day year first above written.

Sealed and delivered by the above named William Gibbons