New York (State) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; New York (State) -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
“THIS INDENTURE witnesseth that Aulkey Hubertse, Daughter of John
Hubertse, of the Colony of Rensselaerwyck deceased hath bound herself
as a Meniall Servant, and by these presents doth voluntary and of her
own free will and accord bind herself as a Meniall Servant unto John
Delemont of the City of Albany, weaver, by and with the consent of
the Deacons of the Reformed Dutch Church in the Citty of Albany, who
are as overseers in the disposal of the said Aulkey Hubertse to serve
from the date of these present Indentures unto the full end and term
of time that the said Aulkey Hubertse shall come to Age, all which
time fully to be Compleat and ended, during all which term the said
servant her said Master faithfully shall serve, his secrets keep, his
lawful commands gladly everywhere obey, she shall do no Damage to her
said Master nor see it to be done by others without letting or giving
notice thereof to her said Master: she shall not waste her Master’s
goods or lend them unlawfully to any. At Cards, Dice, or any unlawful
Game she shall not play whereby her said Master may have Damage: with
her own goods or the goods of others during the said Term, without
License from her said Master she shall neither buy or sell: she shall
not absent herself day or night from her Master’s service without
his Leave, nor haunt Ale-houses, Taverns, or Play-houses, but in all
things as a faithful servant, she shall behave herself towards her
said Master and all his during the said Term. And the said Master
during the said Term, shall find and provide sufficient Wholesome and
compleat meat and drink, washing, lodging, and apparell and all other
Necessarys fit for such a servant: and it is further agreed between
the said Master and Servant in case the said Aulkey Hubertse should
contract Matrimony before she shall come to Age then the said Servant
is to be free from her said Master’s service by virtue thereof:
and at the expiration of her said servitude, her said Master John
Delemont shall find provide for and deliver unto his said servant
double apparell, that is to say, apparell fit for to have and to wear
as well on the Lords Day as working days, both linning and woolen
stockings and shoes and other Necessarys meet for such a servant to
have and to wear, and for the true performance of all and every of
said Covenant and Agreements the said parties bind themselves unto
each other by these presents.”
This indenture was signed and sealed in the year 1710, and varied
little from those of previous years. Sometimes the apparel was fully
described, and was always good and substantial--and Sunday attire was
usually furnished. Sarah Davis, bound out in Albany in 1684, was to be
taught to read and knit stockings; was to have silk hoods and a silk
scarf for church wear, and substantial petticoats and waistcoats, some
of homespun, some of “jersey-spun,” others of “carsoway,” which was
kersey.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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