In this excerpt from the beginning of the otherwise long "Acte
towching dyvers Orders for Artificers Laborers Servantes of Husbandrye and
Apprentises," passed in 1563, the English Parliament compiles and revises two hundred
years worth of law regarding indentured servitude. When colonists needed labor in Virginia, the General Assembly looked to the
Statute of Artificers in order to create more Virginia-specific legislation. The full
act is in 40 parts. Some spelling has been modernized and contractions expanded.
I. Such Laws repealed so far as relates to such Hiring, Wages, &c.
Althoughe there remayne and stande in force presently a great number of Actes and
Statutes concerning the reteyning departing wages and orders of Apprentices Servantes
and Labourers, aswell in Husbandrye as in
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divers other Artes Misteries and
Occupacions, yet partly for thimperfeccion and contrarietie that ys founde and doo
appeare in sundrye of the sayd Lawes, and for the varyetie and nomber of them, and
cheifly for that the wages and allouances lymytted and rated in many of the sayd
Statutes, are in dyvers places to small and not answerable to this tyme, respecting
thadvancement of Pryses of all thinges belonging to the said Servantes and Labourers,
the said Lawes cannot conveniently without the greate greefe and burden of the poore
Labourer and hired man, bee put in good and due execution: And as the sayd severall
Actes and Statutes were at the time of the making of them thought to be very good and
beneficiall for the Common wealthe of this Realme as dyvers of them yet are, So yf
the substance of as many of the said Lawes as are meet to bee continued shalbe
digested and reduced into one sole Lawe and Statute, & in the same an uniforme
Order prescrybed and lymitted concerning the Wages and other Orders for Apprentises
Servauntes and Laborers, there ys good hope that yt will come to passe that the same
Lawe, beyng duly executed, should banishe Idlenes advance Husbandrye and yeelde unto
the hired person bothe in the tyme of scarsitee and in the tyme of plentye a
convenient proporcion of Wages: Bee it therfore enacted by thaucthoritee of this
presente Parliament, That asmuche of the Estatutes heretofore made, and every branche
of them as touche or concerne the hiring keping departing woorcking wages or order
of Servantes Woorckmen Artificers Apprentyses and Labourers or any of them, and the
Penalties and Forfeytures concerning the same, shalbe from and after the last daye of
September next ensuing repealed and utterly voide and of none effect; And that all
the said Statutes and every branch therof for any Matter conteined in them and not
repealed by this Statute, shall remaine and bee in full force and effecte, Any thing
in this Statute to the contrarye notwithstanding.
II. Servants in certain Employments, Trades, &c. shall be hired by the Year.
And bee yt further enacted by thaucthoritie aforesaid, That no maner of person or
persons after the foresaid last daye of September nowe next ensuing, shall reteyne
hire or take into service, or cause to bee retayned hired or taken into service, nor
any person shalbee retayned hired or taken into service, by any meanes or colour, to
woorcke for any lesse tyme or terme then for one hole yere, in any of the Scyences
Craftes Mysteries or Artes of Clotheirs Wollen Clothe Weavers Tuckers Fullers
Clothewoorkers Sheremen Dyers Hosyers Taylours Shoomakers Tanners Pewterers Bakers
Bruers Gloovers Cutlers Smithes Farrours Curryers Sadlers Spurryers Turners Cappers
Hatmakers or Feltemakers Bowyers Fletchers Arrowheadmakers Butchers Cookes or
Myllers.
III. Persons unmarried, &c. not having 40s. per Annum, &c. nor being
otherwise employed, shall be compellable to serve as yearly Servants in the several
Arts in which they were brought up.
And bee yt further enacted, That ever person being unmarried, and every other person
being under thage of thirty yeres that after the Feast of Easter next shall marrye,
and having been brought up in any of the said Artes Craftes or Sciences, or that
hathe used or exercised any of them by the space of three yeres or more, and not
having Landes Tenementes Rentes or Hereditamentes Copieholde or Freeholde of an Estate
or Inheritance or for terme of any Lief or
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Lyves of the clere yerely value of fourtye
shillings, nor being worthe of his owne Goodes the clere value of tenne poundes, and
so allowed by twoo Justices of the Peace of the Countie where he hath most commonly
inhabited by the other head officer of the Citie Burghe or Towne Corporate wher suche person hathe most commonly
dwelled by the space of one whole yere, and twoo Aldermen, or two other discrete
Burgesses of the same citie burghe or towne corporate yf ther bee no Aldermen, under
their Handes and Seales, not being reteyned withe any person in Husbandrye or in any
of thaforesayd Artes and Scyences according to this Statute, nor laufully reteyned in
any other Arte or Science, nor being laufully reteyned in Housholde or in any Office
with annye Nobleman Gentleman or others, according to the Lawes of this Realme, nor
having a convenient Ferme or other holding in Tillage whereupon he maye employ his
Laboure, shall, (during the time that he or they shall so be unmarried or under the
said Age xxxty yeres, upon request made by any person using the Arte or Mystery
wherin the said person so requyred hathe been exercised as ys aforesaid,) bee
reteyned and shall not refuse to serve according to the tenour of this Statue, upon
the paine and penalties hereafter mentyoned.
IV. Such yearly Servants shall not be dismissed, nor depart during the Year, unless
on Cause allowed by Two Justices; nor at the End of the Year, without a Quarter's
Warning.
And bee it further enacted, That no person which shall reayne any Servante shall put
away his or her sayd Servant, and that no person reteyned according to this Statute
shall departe from his Master Mistress or Dame before thende of his or her terme,
upon the payne hereafter mentioned, unlesse yt be for some reasonable and sufficient
cause or matter to bee allowed before twoo Justices of Peace or one at the least
within the said Countie, or before the [Major] or other Chief Officer of the Citie
Burghe or Towne Corporate wherin the said Master Mistress or Dame inhabitethe to whom
any of the parties greved shall complayne; which said Justices or Justice Major or
Chief Officer shall have and take upon them or him the hearing and ordring of the
matter [betwene] the said Master Mistress or Dame and Servante, according to thequite
of the cause: And that no such Master Mistress or Dame shall put awaye any suche
Servante at thende of his terme or that any suche Servante shall departe from his
said Master Mistress or Dame at thende of his terme without one quarter warning gyven
before thende of his sayd terme, eyther by the said Master Mastres or Dame or
Servante the one to the other, upon the payne hereafter ensuing
