Classes at the James & Ann Whitall House
Offered by The Gloucester County Certified Gardeners and
the James & Ann Whitall House Volunteers
See the Calendar of Events for details.
Offered by The Gloucester County Certified Gardeners and
the James & Ann Whitall House Volunteers
See the Calendar of Events for details.
The servant girl
Mary Heany
Mary Heany was an indentured servant that worked for James Whithall on the Whithall plantation. One day Mary ran away. James Whithall advertised in the paper for her return but she was never found.
To learn more about Mary visit the James and Ann Whithall house at Red Bank Battlefield park.
To learn more about Mary visit the James and Ann Whithall house at Red Bank Battlefield park.
What is an Indentured Servant
Indentured servitude was a form of debt bondage, established in the early years of the British colonies in North America and elsewhere. It was sometimes used as a way for poor youth in Britain and the German states to get passage to the American colonies. They would work for a fixed number of years, then be free to work on their own. The employer purchased the indenture from the sea captain who brought the youths over; he did so because he needed labour. Some worked as farmers or helpers for farm wives, some were apprenticed to craftsmen. Both sides were legally obligated to meet the terms, which were enforced by local American courts. Runaways were sought out and returned. About half of the white immigrants to the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries were indentured.