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Indentured…
You Are Living History
Indentured Servitude was a form of labor in the 1500s-1600s, both in Britain and America. A person was contracted to work without a salary for a specific number of years. Indentured Servants included both women and men, and typically the time frame for this service was 4–7 years. The work varied from agriculture to simple industrial tasks, including, but not limited to, textiles, sewing, masonry, carpentry, ironwork, cooking, and childcare.
In exchange for transportation to another destination, the indentured individual would be given shelter, food, and clothing for an agreed-upon time. At the end of their contract, they would be free to leave.
The document in the photos, attached to this piece, is original and in my possession. It was found in a random vintage trunk purchased for $700 US Currency from an attic on Saint Thomas Island. I received the trunk- opened it and found a weathered hidden space. The drawer was a mess- the artifact inside perfect.
It is originally from Saint Thomas, a Caribbean island, and dates to 1593. The contract is written on Vellum, which is an animal membrane- often lambskin- which was found not only to be durable but in abundance throughout the Caribbean. It is one of my most treasured finds. It documents the history of a people and their time on earth.
The intrinsic and…
