Assembly Proceedings, April — May 1666. 147

Endeavors to Convey them to their owners or the next justice
of peace to be conveyed from constable to constable vntill they
be delivered to their s^d owners if then living within this province
This act to continue for 3 yeares or to the End of the next
generall assembly which shall first come

An act Limiting Serv^ts Tymes

Forasmuch as this Assembly takeing into their Serious Con-
sideracon the great charge and hazard th^t the people of this
province are att in procuring Serv^ts for their necessary Imploym^ts
& in regard the time th^t has hitherto been allowed by the
former law to such as have transported servants into this pro-
vince without Indenture being above one & twenty yeares of age
was but foure yeares service in which tyme itt is considered the
Master & owners of such Serv^ts cannot recieve that reasonable
satisfaccon for the charges trouble & greate hazard which all
masters and Owners of Serv^ts are and must of necessity be att
with their Servants This assembly does therefore pray that itt
may be Enacted and be itt therefore Enacted by the R^t hono^ble
the Lord Prop^r by and with the Avice and consent of the vpper
and Lower house of this present generall assembly that who-
soever shall transporte any Servant into this Province without
Indenture and such Serv? being above the age of twenty two
yeares shall be obliged to serve the full Space and terme of
five yeares if between 18 & 22 without Indenture 6 yeares if
betweene 15 & 18 without Indenture Seaven yeares if vnder
fifteen yeares and coming in without Indenture as afores^d such
Serv^t shall serve till he or shee arrive to the full age of 22
yeares And be itt further Enacted th^t all serv^ts transported
out of Virg^a into this Province shall complete their time of
service here which they ought to have served in Virg^a & noe
more And be itt further Enacted that every Master Mistress
or dame assignee or trustee of what Kind soever ownning or
keeping any such Serv^t as aforesaid whether by vertue of trans-
portacon purchase or otherwise shall within six months after
the Recieving such serv^t into their Custody within this province
except he shee or they claime but five yeares service of such
serv? bring the s^d Serv^t into their Respective County Court
where they doe inhabite And every of the said Courts are
hereby authorised to judge & determine of the age of such
Sevants soe brought and cause the same to be entered vpon
Record and every Owner as afores^d neglecting or Refusing to
bring such Servant or Servants before the Court as afores^d shall
not only stand to the determinacon of the Court but alsoe
suffer the penalty of one thousand pounds of tobacco to the
Lord Prop^r for depriving the Courts of such opportunity of veiw

P. R. O.

Colonial En-
try Book
No. 53