further agreed not to play cards or dice, or to haunt taverns, or to absent himself by day or night from his employment, or to commit fornication. The master, on the other hand, agreed to instruct his apprentice in the special art of a wheelwright or turner; to furnish him with the quantity of meat and drink which he needed; to supply him with clothing and lodging, and to allow him washing; and finally, the master bound himself not to withdraw the apprentice from the pursuit of the trade in which he wished to become proficient, in order to compel him to take part in any branch of plantation work except the cultivation of maize, and only in this when the demand for his assistance was pressing. At the end of the term prescribed, Brock agreed to give to his former apprentice a full set of wheelwright tools, a coat made of kerseys a serge suit, a new hat, two pairs of shoes and stockings, one shirt of dowlas, and two of blue linen.[1] In the event that the master died before the expiration of the apprenticeship, Bond was to be required to serve only one-half of his time, provided the death of Brock had occurred previous to this point in the course of his term. If this was the case, Bond was to receive only the clothing which he had in his possession when the apprenticeship began. If Brock died after Bond had served more than one-half of his term, the latter was to be allowed not only the same amount of clothing as was in his possession when he came to his master, but also the full set of tools used by wheelwrights.
- ↑ This was the common form of the English indenture for apprentices. The terms of the agreement between Bond and Brock were identical with those of the indenture given in a note in the second chapter on Servants. Beverley, referring to these provisions, states that “besides their trade and schooling, the masters are generally obliged to give them (i.e. the apprentices) at their freedom, cattle, tools or other things, to the value of 5, 6, or 10 £ according to the age of the child when bound, over and above the usual quantity of corn and clothes.” History of Virginia, p. 209.
