Indenture Text

Indenture Text

The text style chosen for this scroll was a 1531 English apprenticeship Indenture between a Baker and his apprentice.  I chose this particular passage because it was the most concise to cater to our needs.  The mundane terms of the agreement and concessions were discussed beforehand.  Most SCA Peer-Apprentice relationships do not include many of the concessions that I have, my contract includes an annual salary, stipends for housing and clothing, plus the courtesy extends to my dependants.  In addition, my peer gets to look after my sheep in his pasture.  

Concessions outlined in my contract:

This indenture made by proxy the 1 day of April, in the iind raene of Kyng Andreas Morgan and Queene Kallista Morganova of AEthelmearc, the ist yaere, and the ist raene of Kyng Afshin and Queene Yasamin of Atlantia, also the ist yaere, wyttvnes that MeiLan Hua dosse bynd hyr self etudiante to Cyrus Augur for the arte and science of defense and other skylls; also the seid Cyrus Augur dosse bynde him be this indenture to gyff to the seid MeiLan Hua euery yaere in peace and war 200 raeles and to be dobull araede for the hallyday att hyr cumyng furthe, and to be kepyd as a etudiante schud be, that is to say maete and drynk, apparrell as well in lynnen as in woolen, pastoure for hyr flock of shepe and hors, and hys krafte to be toghtt hyr and nothyng to be hyd frome hyr therof : also the seid MeiLan Hua dosse  bynd hyrselfe be thys indenture to be trw seruand and that she schall nott stelle none of hyr Masters gudes, and that she schall nott make no promys of wedloke exsep hyr Master gyff hyr leffe, and she schall comit no fornication or adultery in the house of hyr seid master, and she schall kyepe hyr masters consyll in all maner of thynges that is lefull, and she schall nott be released save by word of one of the seid parties, or through attenyng mastery of hyr kraft. 

In wyttines here of : 

Bond of Apprenticeship to a Baker (1531): This indenture made the xxiiiith day of Februare, in the raene of our Soverand larde Kyng Henry the VIIth the xxiith, wyttvnes that John Harbarde late of Truuystun, dosse bynd hym self prentes to Wylliam Tebbe then beyng Maere of Leicester to the bakares krafte for the terme of vii yaere and the viiith yaere gorneman ; also the said Wylliam dosse bynde him be this indenture to gyff to the seid Jhon for the terme of vii yaere euery yaere viii d. and the viiith yaere euery weke vj d. and to be dobull araede bothe for the hallyday and the warke daye att hys cumyng furthe, and to be kepyd as a prentes schud be, that is to say maete and drynk, hosse and shoys, lyllyn, wollyn, and hys krafte to be toghtt him and nothyng to be hyd frome hym therof : also the seid John dosse bynd hymselfe be thys indenture to be trw seruand for thoes yaeres and that he schall nott stelle none of is Masters gudes, nott be vi d. in the yaere, and that he schall nott wse no gamyng, nor he schall nott make no promys of wedloke exsep is Master gyff hym leffe, nor he schall nott bye or sell exsep ytt be for is masters profytt, and he schall kyepe is masters consyll in all maner of thynges that is lefull. 

In wyttines here of Wylliam Tebbe, Thomas Kattelyn baelle, JohnWestes, Thomas Bette, Justes of the paesse, Thomas Howytt, Wylliam Fowollar, Klarke with other mo. 

Works Cited 

University of Toronto. (2023). Lexicons of Early Modern English. https://leme.library.utoronto.ca/lexicons/276/details

Tawney, R.H. & Power, E. (1924). Bond of Apprenticeship to a Baker. Tudor Economic Documents, Volume 1. London, England: London, Longmans & Co. p. 113