I agree with your remarks that "the level of servitude depended greatly on the terms of indenture, in what location, and at which period of time". In Chapter 7 of her book explaining the head rights system and addressing indentured servants, Octavia Perry starts with the year 1622. Octavia Perry's statement is accurate in my opinion for that time frame. Below is a quote referencing a 19 year old Mr. Townsend apprenticed to Dr. Pott explaining the term servant as it was used at that time. The source is William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers, Vol. 1, No. 2. (Oct., 1892), pp. 82. "He came over with Dr. John Pott in 1620, aged 19. Neill seems to have the wrong idea of what servants meant in the 17th century (Va. Carolorum, p. 279). Servant meant any employee, as apprentice, secretary, clerk, etc., and Townsend was a servant in so far as he was according to the custom apprenticed to Pott to study medicine. In this sense, Adam Thoroughgood, the brother of a Knight, was a servant. "Neill", p. 133. Servant did not mean a menial, as now. At 29, Townsend was recommended to the Council. See "Le Neve" in his use of the word servant. Townsend's family history is given by "Hayden", p. 732. The Doctors stood high in the Colony." Betty -----Original Message----- From: V.A. Austin [mailto:va5303@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu] Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2004 9:55 AM To: JORDAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [JORDAN] Re: Jordans "These people who came as indenture servants were not slaves. They were well-deserving English men and women who had no other way of emigrating to the New World than by having an arm of the colony government." The above statement is a bit misguided and deserves explanation! First, the level of servitude depended greatly on the terms of indenture, in what location, and at which period of time. In many cases indentured servants could be sold, loaned out, and generally WERE a sort of slave, though they had some limited legal protections and were required to be freed after serving their indenture (which could be extended under certain circumstances). They were definitely more bound than a hired servant, though somewhat less than what we generally think of as 'slaves.' Also, while many people were the "well-deserving...." folks you described above, many others were criminals who chose indenture over losing an arm or hanging. Still others were children or youths, whose parents sold them into indenture for one reason or another. Regardless of how they came to be indentured, or how they were treated during their forced servitude, it is truly amazing how many of our ancestors flourish ed here under forbidding circumstances. We don't need to purify their challenging pasts, but appreciate their triumphs over thier circumstances! Dr. Austin Collene Mount wrote: >From: Octavia Jordan Perry's book "These Jordans >Were Here" > >Chapter VII The Headrights System > > Sometime around the beginning of the year 1622, there >were many people emigrated to Virginia from England--- >some as officials, some as indenture servants, and some as >headrights--all eager to own land. > > About the year 1626-27, land patents were issued under >four main conditions: > > 1. They were issued as a dividend in return for invest- > ment in the founding of the colony. > > 2. As a reward for special services to the colony. > > 3. As a stimulus to fortify the frontier by using land to > induce settlement. > > 4. As a method of encouraging emigration by the head- > right system. > >Under the provision of the "GREAT CHARTER", the head- >right grant of 50 acres of land per person was not only open >to shareholders who brought settlers to the colony, but also >to settlers who had emigrated to the colony at their own ex- >pense, or had financed the transportation of other persons >who would fulfill the residence requirements for three years. > >These people who came as indenture servants were not slaves. They were well-deserving English men and women > who had no other way of emigrating to the New World than >by having an arm of the colony government. > >Some of the names of Jordans who came to the New World, >were Peter Jordan, age 22, who came in 1624 on the >LONDON MERCHANT, with his transportation paid by the officials of the colony, to attend the College Land for seven >years. In 1635, John Jordan was brought over to Virginia >by Thomas Butler Clark, the pastor of Denbie of Warres- >quioake County. He could have been a relative of Samuel >Jordan. In 1637, George Jordan came to Virginia and is listed as a headright of Henry Browne of the James Towne >Colony. Arthur Jordan, brother of George's, also came to >Virginia around the same time but, if he was a headright, >the claimant is not recorded. > >James Jordan is listed as coming to Virginia on the >MAL LEGO MERCHANT OF LONDON ON September 13, >1679. Because no one is listed as claiming his as a head- >right, he must have paid his own passage over. > >In George Cabel Greer's book EARLY VIRGINIAN EMIGRANTS 1623 - 1666, there is listed the following >Jordans: > >Anth Jordan, headright of John Moone, Warresquioake >County, Virginia, 1635. > >Ann Jordan, by John Jenkins, Northhampton County, 1655. > >Patrick Jordan, by Matilda Scarbough, Northhampton County, 1655. > >George Jordan, by Captain Samuel Mathews, Esq. 1642 > >Thomas Jordan, by John Ware, ? County, 1653. > >Edward Jordan, by Robert Holt, James Cittie County, 1654. > >Abbigaul Jordan, by John Troy, James Cittie County, 1648. > >Ann Jordan, by James Barnaby, Northhampton County, >1654. > >Anne Jordan, by Agnes Barnes, Northhampton County, 1653. > >Eliza Jordan, by Richard Smith, Northhampton County, 1650. > >Jacob Jordaine, by Mr. Moore, 1649. > >Henry Jordan, by John Ware, who lived on North side of >Rappa River, 1653. > >Some of the foregoing list, Mr. Greer says came as >prospective brides. > >In Mrs. Nell Marion Nugent's book CAVALIERS AND >PIONEERS, the following list of Jordans came to the Virginia colony at an early date. > >Alex Jordan >Arthur Jordan >Captain Jordan >Cecily Jordan (Later Mrs. Samuel Jordan) >Daniel Jordan >Francis Jordan >John Jordan >Nath Jordan >Nick Jordan >Robert Jordan >Samuel Jordan >Thomas Jordan >William Jordan >Dorothy Jordan >Ann Jordan >Edward Jordan >George Jordan >Patrick Jordan > >On August 20, 1642, Captain Samuel Mathews received >3,000 acres of land for transferring 60 persons to Virginia. >Among the names of those transferred were George Jordan >and William Browne--these two could have been sons of >colonists who had been attending school in England. > >There were several of these Jordans with the same name, >with no other identification except the date they are recorded as coming to Virginia, or the dates of their patent >of land. > >Submitted by Collene Mount July 2, 2004