236 Assembly Proceedings, November 1-December 6, 1766.

Liber H. S.
No. I

nor can be done in most Instances till a considerable time after their
becoming Orphans by which the Counties are greatly burthened for
the Support of such Children and those Children themselves are not
so much benefited as they wou'd be by being bound out Apprentices

[Magistrates
to bind out
Orphans]

Be it therefore Enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Pro-
prietary by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordships
Governor and the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly and the
Authority of the same that the Justices of the Several and respective
County Courts within this Province shall and may bind out every
Orphan Child not having or being intitled to a Real or personal

p. 628

Estate the profits or increase whereof is or are sufficient for his or
her Maintainance support and education, as an Apprentice to some
Mariner Handicraft Tradesman or other person /being a Protestant/
at the discretion of the said Justices until such Orphan Child if a

['til 21, or 16
years of
Age]

Male shall arrive to twenty one years of Age or if a Female to
Sixteen years of Age or day of Marriage which shall first happen
in the same manner and upon and under the same Terms Conditions
and restrictions as the said County Courts are impowered by any
Act of Assembly in such case made and Provided to bind out
Orphans as Apprentices where the Balances of their Fathers Estates
are Transmitted to such Courts

[Also Chil-
dren left
by their
Father, &c]

And be it Further Enacted that the said Justices shall and may
upon any Application to them in their respective County Courts, afore-
said for any Allowance for the Support or Maintainance of any
Child whose Father hath departed from this Province or removed
from the County where he resided without leaving a sufficiency for
the Support of his Children, bind out such Child as an Apprentice
in the manner aforesaid to any such person for the time and under
the Terms Conditions and Restrictions aforesaid. And to the end
that Apprentices bound out by virtue of this Act may be Taught
their Trades and may not be Rigorously used or Turned to common
Labour at the Ax or Hoe.

[Orphan
Juries to
enquire as
to their
Usage]

Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid by and with the Advice
and Consent aforesaid That the several and respective County
Courts and Orphan Juries shall and they are hereby required to
give in charge Hear Judge Order Determine and enquire of and
concerning apprentices bound out by Virtue of this Act and their
Masters in the same manner as they are impowered and required to
do by any Act of Assembly heretofore made and now in fforce

[The mother,
if Living,
to be sum-
mon'd]

And be it Further Enacted that no Child having a Mother living
in the same County shall be bound out Apprentice by Virtue of this
or any other Act of Assembly of this Province unless such Mother
shall be at the time of such binding out her Child Apprentice present
in Court or hath been Summoned to attend such Court on such Occa-
sion or a summons for that Purpose against her hath been returned