Description:

Indentured Servant Signs Indenture with Mark to Learn the "Trade or Mystery" of Housewifery

By this indenture, Marey Ross, with the consent of her parents, indentured herself to Joseph and Ann Larkin in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, for a term of nearly eight years. The Larkins were Quakers who lived in Bethel Township on the border with Delaware.

[INDENTURED SERVANTS.] Marey Ross, Partially Printed Document Signed with a Mark, Indenture to Joseph Larkin and Mary Larkin, February 8, 1808, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Includes certification on verso, signed by Justice of the Peace Isaac Eyre. 1 p., 8" x 13.25". Central tear on fold, with loss affecting portions of four lines of text; edge tears; irregular top edge as was common with indentures; general toning.

Excerpts
"This Indenture / Witnesseth, That Marey Ross by the Consent of Her father and mother James Ross & Marey Ross Hath put himself, and by these Presents, doth voluntarily, and of his own free Will and Accord, put Himself an Apprentice to Joseph Larkin and Ann his Wife of the Township of [Bethel?] and after the Manner of an Apprentice to serve him his Heirs and Assigns...."

"She shall not play at Cards, Dice, or any other unlawful Game, whereby her said Master may have Damage. With her own Goods, nor the Goods of others, without License from her said Master [she sh]all neither buy nor sell. She shall not absent herself Day nor Night from her said Master's Service without his leave; nor haunt Ale-Houses, Taverns, or Play-Houses, but in all Things behave herself as a faithful Apprentice ought to do, during the said Term. And he the said Master shall use the utmost of his Endeavour to teach, or cause to be taught or instructed, the said Apprentice in the Trade or Mystery of housewifrey and procure and provide for her sufficient Meat, Drink, Clothing Lodging and Washing, fitting for an Apprentice, during the said term of seven years eleventh months and 2 days and to hive her when free two suites of apparell one of them to be new and to give her one yiears schooling within the Term."

Historical Background
Indentured servitude was generally a method of paying an apprentice to work for free for a master tradesman in exchange for education in that trade. It was also used in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as a way for immigrants to gain transportation to the American colonies. Over half of all European immigrants to the American colonies between the 1630s and the 1770s came under indentures.

The practice of indentured servitude continued into the nineteenth century. In this case, it seems to have been made on economic grounds. Mary Ross's parents likely could not support her and indentured her to the Larkins as a method of securing her support. She likely worked as a servant in the Larkin household, while she learned the "Trade or Mystery," as this preprinted form declared of "Housewifery," which was filled in. When the indenture was finalized, two copies were made and cut irregularly along the top edge as a method of authenticating the contract or indenture. Ross's parents likely kept one copy, while Larkin kept the other, and the details were entered in the county court records.

The passage of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution after the Civil War ended the practice of indentured servitude.

Mary Ross may be:
Mary Ross (1796-1843) was born in Hickory, Pennsylvania, to James Ross (1763-1841) and Mary White Ross (1771-1817) as the fifth of their twelve children born between 1784 and 1812. She also died in Hickory, which is in western Pennsylvania.

Joseph Larkin (1739-1826) was born in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and was a Quaker. He married Ann Salkeld (1747-1835) in 1765, and they had at least eight children between 1766 and 1780. In 1798, he owned a two-story stone house with a separate kitchen and well-house on a one-acre lot. He was a member of the Concord Monthly Meeting of Quakers.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

October 18, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000