Children who were orphans were often
apprenticed or "bound out" to someone in the community to learn a
trade. Males were usually bound out until they were 21 years old and
females until they were age 18. In addition to teaching the child a trade,
the master was to provide the apprentice with food, clothing, lodging, medical
attention and was to see that the apprentice was taught to read, write and
learn arithmetic to and including the "Rule of Three." At the end of
his service, the apprentice often was given a new suit of clothing and
sometimes received a sum of money in lieu of receiving an education. On his
part, the apprentice was to keep his master's secrets and obey his commands,
must not waste his master's goods or lend them without consent or visit taverns
or tippling houses and could not contract marriage. The following information for
1849 has been abstracted from Livingston County Court Order Book K and Indentures of Apprenticeship Book
1834-1877 in the county clerk's office, Smithland, Kentucky. The
letter and number at the end of each entry refers to page in Order Book K. For
example, K:69 refers to Order Book K, page 69.
Henry Hill,
infant orphan, has no estate and is hereby bound to B.J. Ross to learn the
trade of a farmer until he is age 21, being 11 years old now. 5 Mar 1849 [K:69]
William Sparks,
infant orphan who has no estate, is bound to Alexander Dixon to learn the trade
of a farmer until he is age 21, being age 15 in November last. 2 Apr 1849 [K:74] On motion of Lucinda Sparks and
William Tillery with consent of Alexander Dickson & for reasons given to
the court, Alexander Dickson is released from Articles of Indenture apprenticing
William Sparks to him. 3 December
1849 [K:115]
Daniel
Patterson, infant orphan of this county has no estate, and Francis Vincent
signified his willingness to take Daniel as an apprentice to the business &
occupation of a carpenter. Daniel apprenticed to Vincent until he arrives at
age of 21 years, he being 4 years of age on the [blank] day of October next. 2 Apr 1849 [K:77]
Samuel R. Dalton
is bound to Denby Mezell until he is age 21 to learn the grade of a farmer.
When he is 21 years old, which will be 24 November 1855, he being 14 on the
24th day of November 1848, Samuel is to receive a decent suit of new clothes,
$20 in money and a good horse, saddle & bridle worth $60 and cause him to
be learned [sic] to read and write and learn
arithmetic to the Rule of Three. 4 June 1849 [K:82]
James Dickson,
infant orphan of Elizabeth Dickson, has no estate and is bound to Thomas K.
Dickson to learn the trade of a farmer until
James is age 21, he being 11 years old the 12th of February 1849. 9
August 1849 [K:92]
James Henry
Williams, infant who was bound at the March term 1849 to Walter Burns, who has
departed this life. James, an infant 8 years old on 2 May last, child and heir
of [blank] Williams and his wife Sarah, the father having departed this life at
the Cumberland Hospital, is at this time destitute of a home or friend to take
care of him. Ordered that the Clerk of Court bind James Henry to J.A. Brown to
learn the trade of a carpenter and house joiner until he is age 21. 1 Oct 1849 [K:109]
Published 7 March 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/
