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Joseph Best to Benjamin Sturtridge, dated 20 December1819

This Indenture, made the twentieth Day of December in the Year of our Lord 1819 WITNESSETH, That John Robins and John Retallick Church-Wardens of the Parish of Roach in the County of Cornwall; And William Stephens and William Faro Overseers of the Poor of the said Parish, in Pursuance and in Execution of an Order under the Hands of Richard Gerveys Grylls and Nicholas Kendall Clerks two of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace, acting in and for the Hundred of Powder within the said County, bearing Date the twentieth Day of December 1819 (testified by their Allowance hereof) have put and placed, and by these presents do put and place Joseph Best aged 11 years or thereabouts, a poor Child of the said Parish, Apprentice to Benjamin Sturtridge of the said Parish of Roach, Yeoman with him to dwell and serve from the Day of the Date of these Presents, until the said Apprentice shall accomplish his full Age of twenty one years according to the Statute in that Case made and provided: DURING all which Term, the said Apprentice his said Master faithfully shall serve in all lawful Business, according to his Power, Wit, and Ability; and honestly, orderly and obediently, in all Things demean and behave himself towards his said Master and all his during the said Term. And the said Benjamin Sturtridge for himself, his Executors and Administrators doth covenant and grant to and with the said Church-Wardens and Overseers, and every of them, their, and every of their Executors and Administrators, and their and every of their successors, for the Time being, by these Presents, that he the said Benjamin Sturtridge the said Apprentice in the art of Husbandry shall and will teach, and instruct, or cause to be taught and instructed in the best way and manner that he can
And shall and will during all the Term aforesaid, find, provide and allow unto the said Apprentice meet, competent, and sufficient Meat, Drink, Apparel, Lodging, Washing, and other things necessary and fit for an Apprentice. (PROVIDED ALWAYS, That the said last mentioned Covenant on the said Benjamin Sturtridge his Executors and Administrators, to be done and performed, shall continue and be in force for no longer Time than Three Calendar Months next after the Death of the said Benjamin Sturtridge in case the said Benjamin Sturtridge shall happen to die during the Continuance of such Apprenticeship, according to the Provisions of an Act passed in the Thirty-second Year of the Reign of King George the Third, intituled "An Act for the further Regulation of Parish Apprentices"). AND also shall and will so provide for the said Apprentice, that he be not any way a Charge to the said Parish, or Parishioners of the same; but of and from all charge shall and will save the said Parish and Parishioners harmless and indemnified during the said Term.

IN WITNESS whereof, the Parties abovesaid to these present Indentures interchangeably have set their Hands and Seals, the Day and Year first above-written

(In the left margin)
We whose Names are here
under-written, Justices of the Peace for the
County aforesaid (whereof one is of the
Quorum) Do consent to the putting forth
Joseph Best an Apprentice, according to
the Intent and Meaning of the above Indenture
   (signed) R. Gerveys Grylls Junr
   (signed) Nic. Kendall

(Assignment endorsed on the rear of the above document:-)
 
Cornwall to wit. Be it remembered that the within named Benjamin Sturtridge by and with the consent of (blank) and (blank) two of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said County whose names are subscribed to the consent hereunder written doth hereby assign Joseph Best the apprentice within named unto John Hicks of the Parish of Roach in the said County Yeoman to serve him during the residue of the term within mentioned And that he the said John Hicks doth hereby agree to accept and take the said Joseph Best as an apprentice for the residue of the said Term and doth hereby acknowledge himself his executors and administrators to be bound by the agreements and covenants within mentioned on the part of the said Benjamin Sturtridge to be done and performed according to the true intent ad meaning thereof and pursuant to the provisions of an Act passed in the thirty second year of the Reign of King George the third intituled "An Act for the further regulation of Parish Apprentices". In Witness whereof we the said Benjamin Sturtridge and John Hicks have hereunto set our Hands this second day of March one thousand eight hundred and twenty two

N.B. Printed form with hand-written insertions, shown in italics. Words in both italics and brackets are inserted by the transcriber e.g. (signed). Spellings are as found.
Source: LDS Film No. 1596395, CRO Ref P. 198/14/1/31

Contributed by John Evans

 
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