I have looked a little closer at this indentureship situation. The boys were indentured in 1818 and probably went to live with James Miles at that time. Marriage records show that James Myles was married not too long after that. So, in that instance, I can see that perhaps the boys were released back to their father so they would be shown in the 1820 census in their father's home. I have discussed it with others researching the same family, and they believe that the boys (Edvin Jr. and James) were essentially on their own at that time.... I sure wish I could find some people researching Alexander and Mullikin surnames in Shelby Co., KY!!!! REJ -----Original Message----- From: mayoder [mailto:mayoder@davesworld.net] Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 1999 1:27 PM To: rjackson1@satx.rr.com Subject: Re: [KYSHELBY] Children indentured as apprentices in 1818: Alexander, Edvin REJ, Will try to answer your questions. If you have the indenture record from Shelby Co- it should tell you the conditions of the indenture. The person/s bound out usually were clothed, fed, educated , etc by the person to whom they were bound out. At least, that is the case of the indentures that I have from Hardin Co. At the end of the indenture- the person indentures was paid a sum of money and given a new suit of clothes. It is my understanding that the person lived with the person to whom they were indentured. As far as a divorce record- it would be in the Circuit Clerk's office just like they are today. All things concerning the court- is recorded in the Circuit Clerks Office. I assume there is Church records for Shelby Co- just as in any other Co. Since I am far more familiar with Nelson/Hardin Cos- I can only go on what I know of from there. I am sitting here in Central Illinois "in the middle of the corn patch" but I have quite a library of Ky books. Unfortunately, I have only the Shelby Co mgs 1792-1830 and a CD with the 1850 Cen of Ky by Broderbund. I have much more on Hardin Co (Censuses, wills, mgs, tax lists, cems, some church records), Nelson Co Mgs 1785-1884, some church records; LaRue Co mgs to 1930, a history and some gen books of people in Larue Co; Meade Co Censuses, mgs; Jefferson Co Mgs to 1849. Broderbund mg CD that covers Ky. If I can help with anything from the 1850 Cen of Shelby or the mgs- let me know. Perhaps I can help you locate someone in Ky. Would like to try. I don't know how much help I have been- but I have tried. Mary ----- Original Message ----- From: REJ <rjackson1@satx.rr.com> To: 'mayoder' <mayoder@davesworld.net>; <KYSHELBY-L@rootsweb.com>; 'Alexander Mailing List' <ALEXANDER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 1999 11:45 AM Subject: RE: [KYSHELBY] Children indentured as apprentices in 1818: Alexander, Edvin > > Do you have any idea where I could go to try to find some more information > as to particular indentures in Shelby Co ? I have the court record. I would > like to try to find out how these agreements worked....was the money earned > as part of the indenture paid to the parents? or to the child? Did the > children still live with their parents or did they live with the family they > were "bound out" to? How would one find out about divorces or marital > separations that happened in Shelby Co. KY around 1818? Would there be any > church records in the county that go back that far? > > Any ideas? > > R Jackson > San Antonio, TX > > > -----Original Message----- > From: mayoder [mailto:mayoder@davesworld.net] > Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 1999 11:51 AM > To: rjackson1@satx.rr.com > Subject: Re: [KYSHELBY] Children indentured as apprentices in 1818 > > > R. Jackson, > Indentures were not so uncommon in this area of Ky for any time period. It > was rather common for parents/ etc > to bound out their children to learn a trade. The indenture had a period of > years that it covered. I have in mind > a couple of indentures from Hardin Co- where a Matilda Merrifield was bound > out as a poor child of the Co. and a Warren Merrifield was also bound out in > Hardin Co. Both by several Justices of the Peace. Both for a specific > number of years (usually until of age-whatever that was for the time > period). The Matilda Merrifield later married George Lawson Rogers (a > minister of Hardin/Bullitt Cos)- with surety Alexander Merrifield on the m > record. Why Alexander would bound out a dau?? (in his probates of 1847- she > is listed as a descendant- but not necessarily a child-since Alexander was > born 1765). Very confusing at best since older researchers place Matilda as > a d/o Alexander and Rachel Boone Merrifield. > > Mary > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: REJ <rjackson1@satx.rr.com> > To: <KYSHELBY-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 1999 9:51 AM > Subject: [KYSHELBY] Children indentured as apprentices in 1818 > > > > I just found something very interesting concerning members of my family in > > Shelby county in 1818. Edvin Alexander and Phebe Mullikin Alexander had > two > > boys: Edvin M. Alexander and James M. Alexander. They were apparently poor > > as church mice. Sometime in that year, Edvin and Phebe were separated > > according to a court document and were unable to care for the boys....so > > they were bound as indentured workers to a man named James Miles that also > > lived in Shelby County at the time in order to be taught how to be a > > "housejoiner." According to the court document, it almost sounds like the > > boys (Edvin was 10 and James was 12 at the time) were actually taken into > > the Miles household to not only work there, but live there. The word > > "adoption" was not used, but it definitely seemed to be implied. > > > > What I am trying to understand is this: Edvin Alexander (the father) is > > listed in the 1820 census (two years after the indenture) as apparently > > having the boys living in his household and not in the Miles household. I > > would like to see if there is a way to determine the proximity of Edvin's > > home to that of James Miles. Were they next to each other or several miles > > apart? Perhaps the Alexanders lived on the Miles property? > > > > >From what I have been able to read, indenturship such as this was quite > > uncommon in KY after 1800. Is there any history written that talks about > > this happening in Shelby County at about this time? Is it possible that > the > > father may have essentially sold his boys into indentureship as a means of > > supporting his family after his wife Phebe left? What other reasons might > > families have done this? > > > > What sort of laws were there in the area on separation and divorce at the > > time? What sort of rights did the father have as compared to the mother? > > Were the children essentially treated as "property" of the father to do > with > > as he pleased? > > > > I think some events surrounding and involving this indentureship have had > > reprocussions in later generations of my family, so I am trying to find > out > > as much as I can. Ideas as to who to talk to or where to look are most > > certainly welcome. > > > > R Jackson > > San Antonio, TX > > > > > >