Washington, D. C., Indentures of Apprenticeship, 1801-1811

This is a collection of Indentures of Apprenticeship from Washington County in the District of Columbia from 1801 until 1811. An Indenture of Apprenticeship is a contract where an apprentice is bound to the service of a master for a specific amount of time in order to learn a trade, craft, profession or business. The apprentices ranged in age from 5 to 17 and the contract usually lasted until the age of 21. The original contract was signed in the presence of a notary public and once approved by the Orphans Court was copied into these records by the Register of Wills.

The records only cover Washington County because when the Orphan Court sat in Alexandria it was recorded by the Virginia courts. The Indentures of Apprenticeship contain:

• Apprentice name
• Apprentice place of residence
• Apprentice age
• Apprentice date of birth
• Apprentice race
• Parent/guardian name
• Date of indenture