Description:

Antebellum Illinois
Jacksonville, IL, November 7, 1838
Poor Infant Boy Assigned to an Illinois Farmer as an Indentured Servant
MDS

In antebellum Illinois, indentured servitude existed as a form of debt bondage, in which individuals were bound for specific periods to repay a debt. Orphaned minors were also often bound to families until they reached the age of adulthood, 21 for males and 18 for females.

In June 1827, the Illinois General Assembly passed "An Act Concerning Minors, Orphans, and Guardians" that allowed orphans over the age of 14 to select their own guardians and empowered probate courts to appoint guardians for those under the age of 14. In this case, the Morgan County Probate Court bound one-year-old William Morrison Bristow to William Summers until he reached the age of 21.

[ORPHANS.] William Summers, James Berdan, and George Rearick, Manuscript Document Signed, Indenture of William Bristow, November 7, 1838, Jacksonville, Illinois. 2 pp., 7.75" x 12.5". Expected folds; general toning; soiling on folds.

Complete Transcript
This Indenture of apprenticeship, made and Entered into this seventh day of November 1838 between George Rearick and James Berdan two Justices of the peace within and for the County of Morgan and state of Illinois, and William Summers of said county Witnesseth: That whereas William Morrison Bristow is a poor Child, unable by occasion of infancy to take care of and support himself, and his father Thomas Bristow Jr. having satisfactorily shews an unwillingness to support said Child by having wilfully abandoned his family and said child for the space of six months and upwards, and Lucina Bristow mother of said child, being poor and needy and unable to support said Child, and the said Child being likely to become chargeable to the County, and to grow up in habits of Idleness, the said Justices of the peace do by virtue of the power vested in them hereby bind the said Child to the said William Summers as an apprentice to learn the art trade and mystery of Farming in all of its various branches; and they hereby vest the said Summers with full power and authority to take possession of said Child and retain the custody and control of hum until he shall arrive at the age of twenty one years, the said Child being eleven months old on the sixth day of September last, and the said William Summers doth hereby covenant and agree to take charge of said Child to raise and support him, to furnish him with wholesome diet and suitable clothing and in all respects provide for his support care, and maintenance, during the whole period of his apprenticeship he doth further consent to Learn the said apprentice the art and trade of a Farmer in all its various branches. He further covenants to cause the said apprentice to be taught to read and Write and the Ground Rules of Arithmetic, and also give him a New Bible, and two new suits of cloths suitable to his condition at the expiration of his team of services, In Testimony of all which the parties aforesaid hereto sign their names and affix their seals the date first herein written.
Test.
William Summers {seal}
Jas. Berdan J.P. {seal}
Geo. Rearick J.P. {seal}

William Bristow (b. 1837-?) was born in Illinois, the son of Thomas Bristow Jr. and Lena Henderson Bristow, who married in February 1836 in Morgan County, Illinois.

William Summers (1783-1853) was born in North Carolina. In 1804, he married Jane Ross (1786-1861), and they had at least five children. He moved to Morgan County, Illinois, by 1830, and by 1850, he was a carpenter in Scott County, Illinois.

James Berdan (1805-1884) was born in New York City and graduated from Yale College in 1824. Eight years later, he moved to Jacksonville, Illinois, where he practiced law. He was an active Whig and won election as county judge for Morgan County in 1849, serving in that office until 1857. He was later secretary of the Tonica and Petersburg Railroad.

George Rearick (1791-1855) was one of Jacksonville's first merchants and a justice of the peace.

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.

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  • Dimensions: 7.75" x 12.5"
  • Medium: MDS

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