In early Kentucky, the county court had jurisdiction to bind out minor children as apprentices to learn a trade. It was the duty of the court to inquire after and place poor orphans and other children whose relatives or guardians the court judges feared would not bring them up in good and moral ways. The court also could bind out the children of a man confined in the penitentiary. There had to be a reason or necessity authorizing the child to be bound out; it could not be done willy-nilly.
The indenture of apprenticeship was a legal contract between the county clerk and the person, called the master, to whom the apprentice was bound. The contract should give the name and age of the apprentice and what occupation he was to be taught. In addition, the apprentice should have proper medical care, should be well fed and clothed and treated with humanity. The master was to pay, at the end of the apprenticeship, a sum of money, but if the master taught the apprentice to read and write, the master was not bound to pay him or her any money at the end of the apprenticeship.
On 25 April 1814, John H. Phelps, Caldwell County Clerk, by order of the county court, bound out Peter Sparrow (infant and orphan of Nicholas Sparrow), aged about 15 years the first of January next, to Stephen Rodgers to learn the art and mystery of the tanner’s trade. Peter was to serve Rodgers, his master, from this date until he arrived at the age of 21 years. Peter was to serve his master by keeping his secrets and obeying all lawful commands. The apprentice could not contract marriage or commit fornication or, leave without his master’s consent. Rodgers promised to teach Peter the tanner’s trade, teach him to read, write and common arithmetic to include the rule of three, provide decent food and drink, washing, lodging and clothing and at the end of his term of servitude, give Peter a new suit of clothes “from head to foot” and three pounds 10 shillings in cash. [2]
While it may seem harsh to place a young child in a home with another family where he had to basically “work for his keep,” sometimes it was a better situation than his home life. When the apprenticeship did not work out, the apprentice could be removed and placed elsewhere or return to his home. This happened after Peter’s sister, Catharine Sparrow, was bound out to Joseph McMahan and later removed following a complaint by her mother, Caty Moore.
The amount of information valuable to a genealogist varies from county to county and time period. The early Caldwell County apprenticeship records are handwritten in a separate book. Although the apprentice is often called an orphan, that may indicate only that his father was deceased and his mother was still alive. In the case of Peter Sparrow, his mother, Catharine remarried to Asher Moore 11 November 1811 (marriage bond) in Livingston County. [3] It should be noted she is listed as Catharine Sporher in the marriage bond, but is listed as “Caty Moore, mother of Catharine Sparrow …” elsewhere so look for name variations. [4]
One entry in Caldwell County Indentures of Apprenticeship Book 1, page 9, provides the proof: "9 April 1812. Asher Moore [and] his wife hath this day bound out their daughter Caty Sparrow orphan of Nicholas Sparrow[,] daughter of sd. Catherine Moore by her first husband Nicholas Sparrow, aged nine years sometime in August 1811 to Joseph McMahan to be taught the art and mystery of the spinster trade and all its various branches."
[1] Livingston County, Kentucky County Court Order Book E, pp 60-61, 29 January 1811.
[2] Caldwell County, Kentucky Indentures of Apprenticeship Book 1, p. 17.
[3]
Joyce M. Woodyard. Livingston County, Kentucky Marriage Records, Vol. 1
(October 1799-July 1839), (Smithland, KY: n.p., 1992), 33.
[4]
Brenda Joyce Jerome. Caldwell County, Kentucky County Court Order Book A May
1809 – October 1815, (Evansville, IN: Evansville Bindery, 2000), 90.
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