My friend, Dr. Will asked a question that may be of interest to all, especially those who think that "binding out" was for children only:

"Paul,
    The question to me was that it was the understanding of this individual that the vestry could not bind anyone to serving for any cause after they reached the age of 21. I KNOW that in the past, I saw that it could be up to age 30. Thought that perhaps you had access to some info that it COULD be up to age 30...."

I answered:
You are correct in your memory that there were instances of "binding out" till age 30 year.  You might want to see these citations, "The churchwardens were empowered to bind out, until he was 30 years of age, every bastard not provided for; and if they neglected to do so they (the churchwardens) ran the risk of being prosecuted in the county court." Middlesex Co. Records, vol. 1680-1694, p. 5, and as cited by Bruce, "Institutional History of VA in the 17th Century" (Putnam's Sons, NY and London, The Knickerbocker Press, 1910, 2 vols.)  vol. 1, p. 85.

As you know, the vestry had enormous power throughout the 17th- and first half of the 18th-centuries, and could and did bind out people of all ages from childhood upwards for various terms of years in order that those people not be or become an economic burden for the parish.  I find no cases where any persons other than bastards were bound out to age 30, however many of the terms of such servants extended to ages 21 through 25.

Paul

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