Daily AncestorIndentured servant
An indentured servant was a person bound by contract to work for a master for a set number of years, often in return for passage to the colonies.
Many colonists, especially in the Chesapeake in the 1600s, came as indentured servants. They received passage, food and lodging in exchange for several years of unpaid work, and sometimes freedom dues at the end.
Courts recorded indentures, runaways and disputes. Poor or orphaned children were also bound out as apprentices or servants by local officials, a related practice that continued into the 1800s.
As seen in a recordColonial court records and ship lists
Indenture of Jno. Roe, servant, for four years
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Daily Ancestor. "Indentured servant." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/indentured-servant. Last checked 2026-10-01.