From "Notes on the Parish of Mylor", published by Hugh Pengelly Olivey 1907

Beware, Ongoing work - This is First Draft Only and like to contain typographic errors

Section XIII

Parish Apprentices.

THE binding of apprentices for agriculture was a very important matter, and on the whole the system was a good one. The apprentice was generally well treated, and became attached to his master. He lived at his table on good substantial food, much better than he would have had in his own poor home.   The term of his service made him efficient in all branches of husbandry. Some of the finest specimens of labourers of the past generation, now nearly all gone, had been parish apprentices. Many restrictions were imposed as to ill-usage, etc., and power was given to the apprentice to summon the master for such, or for the refusal of necessary provisions ; and to the master to summon any apprentice for misbehaviour, and on conviction various penalties were imposed on both sides.

By S Eliz. c. 4, s. 2S, every person being a householder and having or using half-a-plough land ⁽¹⁾ in tillage may take an apprentice above the age of ten years and under eighteen to serve in husbandry 'till twenty-one at the least or 'till twenty-four as the parties may agree; and females for the same time or marriage. Apprentices were bound by deed which must be indented.

With regard to the binding of poor apprentices, the churchwardens and overseers, by the assent of two justices, may bind any poor person, whose parents they may judge unable to maintain them, to be apprentices where they may see convenient; and if any poor child shall be appointed to be bound, the person to whom he is appointed shall receive and provide for him, and if he refuse to do so he shall forfeit £10 by distress and sale to the use of the poor. The churchwardens and overseers were to be the proper judges of persons fit to be masters, and all these were persons who by their profession or manner of living have occasion to keep servants.

The custom was that when children became chargeable to the parish that the persons liable to receive them were balloted for.

In a book called Register Parish Apprentices, commencing July, 1805, and ending September, 1831, there are 131 entries, out of which number thirty-six paid the statutory fine of £10 to be relieved of the liability. The fines thus paid were generally added to the poor rate.

In 1799 there were four such refusals : Mr. M. Adam, Mr. John Rowe, Mr. Hartney, and Mr. Metheral.

1800-4. Sir Wm. Lemon, Mr. J. Symons, Rev. Mr. Webber, Mr. James Stephens.

1812. Four and fines.

1815. Three. Capt. Schuyler, Mr. Thos. Reed, Rev. Mr. Fox.

1816. Three. Capt. Sutton, G. C. Fox, Esq., Mr. Fox, Foundry.

1818. Three. Capt. Procter, Capt. Quick, Mr. Hender.

1819. Three.

1828. Six.  John Hartney, Esq., Geo. Brook Foster, Esq., Henry Carey, Esq., Mr. Josh. Nicholls, Mr. Josh. Richards, Walter Lesley, Esq.

1830. The following names were drawn: Mr. Doble for tithe sheaf, Rev. Mr. Hoblyn, Mr. Robt. Porter, Mr. C. Fox for Perran Foundry, Sir Charles Lemon, Miss Sheepshanks, Mr. Skewes, Mr. Heater. It does not say if they or any of them paid the fine.

1831, Sept. It was then resolved that all fines should be reserved as a fund for enlarging the poor house, with the exception of Mr. Heater's fine.

The last entry is No. 131.
Sept. 29. Grace Hacket, 12. Female. Mother Grace Hacket, Mylor. Hugh Oliver Olivey, Gentn., Mylor.  21 years or marriage.

In December a resolution is passed that the taking of apprentices shall be no longer compulsory.

The resolution was as follows
"1831, Dec. 13.  It is hereby agreed that whereas the system of binding out parish apprentices is objectionable, the children liable to be bound out shall be offered and submitted to several parties whose turn it is to take children of age to be bound, to receive a child voluntarily without the customary fee. The said child to be provided for and taken care of as though an apprentice, and in the event of misbehaviour of the child or other cause to be explained to the vestry the said child may be returned and be otherwise provided for by the parish. The law of binding parish apprentices not to be affected by this voluntary agreement. The party liable to take a child.to have the preference of taking one being a relative."

After this decision Mr. Olivey appears to have been relieved of his, as on Sept. 2, 1833, it was resolved that the parish officers be empowered with the consent of the magistrates to dispense with the obligation which Mr. Olivey is under to keep his apprentice and to cancel the indenture under which he holds her.

(1)    Half-a-plough land was about sixty acres, but for this purpose it was considered as being assessed at £50 a year, and all over that amount were liable. In some instances those under that amount were joined together to make it up.

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