Indentures
Sample form for Louage d'un apprentif, from the Supplement to Thomas Le Frocq's Nouveau Precepteur, 1818, and actual indenture of 1711 from our collection.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries Guernsey was full of small private schools. One of the most successul school proprietors, Thomas du Frocq, in his brain-splitting 'New Instructor,' provided sample letters and forms for those who wished to conduct business, ask favours, get engaged and so on. Below is the pro-forma for setting up an apprenticeship.
There follows an example of an actual apprenticeship document, that of Thomas Bonamy, who became an apprentice mariner in 1711, one of a large number of documents from Le Hurel in St Saviour's that were donated to the Library in 2014 by Esther Hatton. Indentures are not common in collections; it is notable that it is written in English rather than French, as is an indenture of 1829 made between John Thorne, apothecary, and Eléazar De La Rue; in fact, the text of the two documents is identical [Quarterly Review of the Guernsey Society, VII (3), Autumn 1951, p. 15.]. See also 'Admonition to apprentices,' QRGS, XLIII (2), Summer 1987.
Le — du mois de —, l'an mil huit cent —, ce contrat ou louage certifie que Thomas —, de la Paroisse de —, en l'île ou canton de —, s'est de lui-même, et apr ces présentes, volontairement et de son consentement, donné apprentif de Pierre —, (charpentier, ou autre profession), en la Paroisse de —, afin d'apprendre son art, metier ou mystère, selon le devoir d'un apprentif; de le servir de par ce date, pendant et pour le terme de —— ans à venir; durant lequel temps ledit apprentif doit servir son maître en toute fidélité, doit garder ses secrets inviolablement, doit de tous côtés exécuter ses ordres avec promptitude et de bon coeur, et l'obéir en tous ses commandements droits et légitimes. Ledit apprentif ne fera ni ne causera aucun dommage à sondit maitre, ni ne le verra endommagé par autrui, sans lui en donner ample information. Il ne fera aucun mauvais usage deu bien de sondit maitre, ni le pretera a autrui deloyalement; ni ne fera rien par lequel le caractere de sondit maître pourrait être blessé, ou son bien endommagé. Il ne s'absentera point de sondit maître ou de son travail sans en avoir eu la permission; mais en toutes choses il doit se conduire honnètement et comme un fidèle apprentif doit faire durant son terme. Et ledit maître, de son côté, s'engage d'user tous les moyens, afin d'apprendre ou de faire apprendre, et instruire audit apprentif, l'art, le métier ou le mystère, qu'il professe, qu'il occupe ou qu'il suit. Il acordera audit apprentif, pour son service durant le dit espace du terme de son apprentissage, la somme de — la semaine (ou autrement, selon que les parties sont convenues). Afin que l'entier du contenu de ce louage soit justement exécuté selon les engagemens de part et d'autre, lesdites parties s'y sont liées mutuellement en y apposant leurs signatures.
Le Maître ..............
Le père de l'Apprentif ............THOMAS TOURNEUR, JAMES SCIEUR, Témoins.
[Click on the image for a larger copy of the original document].
This Indenture Witnesseth that Thomas Bonamy son of Thomas Bonamy of the Parish of St Petter in the Island of Guernsey hath put himself and by those presents doth voluntarily and of his own will and accord put himself apprentice to Andrew Bonamy Senior and to Andrew Bonamy Jun. his son of Guernsey marriners to larn his art trade or Mistery after the manner of an apprentice to serve him from the date hereof for and during the Term of foure yeares next Ensuing during all which terme the s[aid] apprentice his said Masters faithfully shall serve his secrets keep his faithfull Commands gladly every where obey he shall do no damage to his said Master, nor see it to be done by others, without letting or giving notice thereof to his said Masters he shall not wast his Masters goods nor lend them unlawfully, to [any?] he shall not Commit fornication, nor Contract matrimony, within the said term, at Cards dice or other unlawfull game he shall not play he shall not haunt ale houses nor play houses but in all things behave himself like a good & faithfull apprentice ought to do, he shall not absent himself day nor night from his masters service without his leave and the said Masters shall use the utmost of their Indeavour to teach or cause to be taught or Instructed the said apprentice in the trade or mystery of a sailor, and procure and provide for him sufficient meat, drink, washing & lodging and apparell fitting for an apprentice during the said term and for a true performance of all and every the said Covenants and agreements either of the said parties bind them selves unto the other by these presents In witness whereof they have interchangeably put their hands & Seals this first of Aprill in the 10th year of the Reign of our soverign Lady Queen Ann by the Grace of God of Great Britain & Ireland &c. Anno Dm: 1711. Andrew Bonamy Junr., Thomas Bonamy.
Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of Samuel Le Cocq, 1714.