As I understand ii until about 1800 if our ancestors were serfs and most were they had to get permission from the owner of the land upon which they lived before they could relocate to the next farm or into the next county. They were property and they were part of the land upon which they lived. The few records that I have seen indicate that their lord required a hefty payment - usually translated Tax. I suspect that this tax took most of the cash the would be emigrant had managed to save, They were a tad above slaves - they could own farm animals and personal possessions, and they received a portion of the harvest. And they were under the protection of their lord. I am searching for the origins of the Nymon/Neiman family and the Mater family - I have them in Penn's Trust in the 1700's and they seem to have been German speaking. Also the Iles/Iler family, Henry Iles said he was born in England and later in the American colonies, he was a Hessian soldier POW. So I suppose some Iles may have escaped his servitude when he was conscripted and sent to England where he married an English wench and had a son, named Henry. That is the only way I can imagine a Hessian soldier in the American colonies saying he was born in England. Very willing to share family information - Hal