Grimshaw Indenture Document

The following is a transcription of an Indenture document dated to the reign of Queen Victoria for a twelve year old boy, Amos James Grimshaw. This boy was an ancestor of Albert H. Grimshaw, who served as head of the Textile Chemistry department at NC State from the mid­1920’s until 1947. The original document is stored in the archives of NC State University. A replica hangs in a conference room in the College of Textiles.

Original Indenture document is roughly 11 x 17 and difficult to read in the best conditions.

A transcription is printed below.

Note: Punctuation is quite different and run­on sentences abound.

 

 

 

This Indenture Witnesseth That Amos James Grimshaw of Bolton in the County of Lancaster aged twelve years and upwards by and with the consent of his Father Riley Grimshaw of Bolton aforesaid (T?)aper of the one part doth put himself Apprentice to James Mather Daltry of Over Darwen in the said County Reed Maker and Heald Knitter of the other part to learn his Art and with him after the Manner of an Apprentice to serve from the day of the date hereof until he shall attain his full age of twenty one years from thence next following to be fully complete and ended During which Term the said Apprentice his Master faithfully shall serve, his secrets keep, his lawful commands everywhere gladly do, he shall do no damage to his said Master nor see to be done of others, but to his Power shall tell or forthwith give warning to his said Master of the same, he shall not waste the Goods of his said Master nor lend them unlawfully to any he shall not commit fornication nor contract Matrimony within the said Term he shall not play at Cards or Dice Tables, or any other unlawful Games whereby his Master may have any loss with his own goods or others during the said Term without Licence of his said Master shall neither buy nor sell he shall not haunt Taverns or Playhouses nor absent himself from his Masters service unlawfully But in all things as a faithful Apprentice he shall behave himself towards his said Master and all his during the said Term And the said James Mather Daltry for himself his heirs executors and administrators doth hereby covenant promise and agree to and with the said Riley Grimshaw his executors and administrators his said Apprentice in the Act Trade and business of a Reed Maker and Heald Knitter which he useth by the best means that he can shall teach and Instruct or cause to be taught and instructed And also shall and will well and duly pay or earn to be paid to the said Amos James Grimshaw during the first year and four months of the said term the sum of five shillings weekly and every week during the second year of the said term the sum of six shillings weekly and every week during the third year of the said term the sum of seven shillings during the fourth year of the said term the weekly sum of eight shillings during the fifth year of the said term the weekly sum of nine shillings during the sixth year of the said term the weekly sum of ten shillings and during the seventh and last year of the said term the sum of eleven shillings to be computed as aforesaid Provided always and if whereby ( …) tually covers declared and agreed by and between the said parties here to that if the said Amos Grimshaw be absent from the service of the said James Mather Daltry his executors or administrators by reason of sickness neglect or otherwise then and in such case the wages shall cease and shall not be paid or payable by the said James Mather Daltry his executors or administrators or any of them during the said time as the said Amos James Grimshaw shall be so absent as aforesaid Provided always also that the said Amos James Grimshaw shall not be compelled to work more than the usual and accustomed hours of work each day. And it is hereby covenanted by the said Riley Grimshaw his executors or administrators that he shall find and provide for his said son good and sufficient meat drink washing lodging and wearing apparel of all sorts both linen and woolen also aprons hat and shoes suitable for a person in his position likewise physic and surgery in case of sickness during the whole of the said term And for the performance of all and every the said Covenants and Agreements either of said Parties bindeth himself unto the other by these presents In Witness whereof the Parties above­named to these Indentures interchangeably have put their Hands and Seals the eleventh day of May and in the thirtieth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and (blank)

Signed Sealed, and delivered Amos James Grimshaw (signed) seal

By the within Named Parties to Riley Grimshaw (signed) seal

This Indenture, in the presence of James Mather Daltry (signed) seal

A. E. Poole (signed)

Clerk for I. Hargreaves Kay Stamp placed on document “Liverpool 17.4.65”

( unreadable )

Over Darwen