Orphans Bound Out

Bound Out was a labor system that connected hosts with poor boys and girls willing to serve their masters and mistresses as apprentices or servants and, in return, received room and board. In so doing, they would learn a trade and, when their term was up, they were to receive a suit of clothes and a small amount of money and, in some cases, a set of tools of their trade. The term usually lasted until the child reached the age of maturity, age 21 for boys and 18 for girls.

Orphans who were bound out to families, farmers and/or tradesmen were not always true orphans. Sometimes the family could not afford to support the children or were sickly and unable to provide for them. Many of the children were of widowed mothers or were illegitimate and their mothers were unable to support them.

Transcripts from this book were done by Jeff Duvall and are listed in alphabetical order by name of orphan and then repeated alphabetically by the name of the person to whom they were bound.

Orphans Bound Out (white & colored)

Colored Orphans Bound Out