Paul

Paul was a child in Northampton who was indentured to John Wait of Southampton sometime in the 1770s, but the exact date is not written on the record.
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The text of the indenture is as follows, “bind a certain Poor Child named Paul the son of Lydia a Negro Woman living in Sd. town of Northampton to be apprentice to John Wait of Southampton in sd. County with him to dwell & live from the day of the date hereof until the sd. apprentice shall arrive to the full age of twenty one years.” The indenture also states that Paul would be an “Apprentice in the art of husbandry” (Northampton Overseers of the Poor records, bundle 2, box 5.15).

At this time, some towns petitioned  for court permission to place children of families who were on public support in indentured servitude. This could be done against the will of the parents if the justices agreed. For another case of children being placed in indentured servitude, see Asaph Hull. See also “The Transformation of the Law of Poverty in Eighteenth-Century Massachusetts” by Douglas Lamar Jones. There is another case similar to this one shortly after the scope of this project. Triphenia Danforth (or Danford) was a 12-year-old girl who was indentured to Solomon Stoddard Jr. in 1803. The indenture stated that she would serve until her 14th birthday, and while serving, Stoddard would provide meals, lodging, clothing, and some education (Northampton Overseers of the Poor records).

We do not know Paul’s exact age, but since he was being indentured for an apprenticeship, he may have been seven years old or older. However, selectmen did sometimes place children under seven in indentured servitude. In the Lamar paper referenced above, he writes about a case where a town tried to bind out (meaning place in indentured servitude) twins who were two years old.
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The indenture also does not give the surname of Paul’s mother, but since they give her first name as Lydia, it is possible that she was Lydia Hill, who we know was on town support in the 1770s (see entry for Lydia Hill). Hill died in 1778, so it is possible that her death was the reason Paul was indentured. It is also possible that her being placed on town support was the reason given for Paul’s indenture.