An indentured contract was part of the man's estate. It could have remained
in the family as the property was divided or sold to anther person to raise
money. The contract terms would have
remained the same who ever possessed it.
Without a will, the estate would have been administered by a family member
or by someone appointed by the court. A search of court minutes would be
need to be done if any minutes still exist from the time period. An index
would not necessarily be under the name of Hardyman. It could be under the
name of the appointed administrator meaning every entry would need to be
read to see if it involved the Hardyman estate.
But we know that years were often added to the indentured servants term for
various reasons or unreasonable excuses by the contract holder. Customarily
if a woman had a child, the added time was one year.
As for the 1712 document, one would need to view the original and see if
indeed Margaret Shaw's name is inscribed as a witness. I don't see any
reason she could not witness a document. A reading to the laws of Virginia
may have something on this.
Also the length of Margaret's indenture seems to be very long. If she was
indentured prior to 1712 and was still under contract in 1737, that would be
25 years.
Good luck on your hunt for Margaret.
Poldi
On Sat, Jul 9, 2011 at 2:55 PM, R. C. Solomon <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Does anyone know what would have happened to a white indentured servant
> when her master dies, whose indentureship had not been completed? The man in
> question John Hardyman died in Prince George county in 1737 and no will has
> ever been found for him - according to other researchers. I know that large
> portions of PG county records were burned or lost. During her indentureship
> this white servant Margaret Shaw in 1715 had a mulatto child and was
> punished by the churchwardens of Westopher parish by the extension of her
> indentureship. I have not found any additional information about her or her
> child. I have continue to search through her owner's wills, deeds, etc. for
> any clues.
>
> Also would it be unusual for an indentured servant to be a witness on a
> deed of her owners? I found a record of a Margaret Shew (it was transcribed
> this way but I think it is the same woman) as a witness to a deed between
> John Hardyman and another person in 1712. I have not seen the original
> record.
>
> Thanks
> Ruth Solomon
>
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--
"She is insane, of course. The family history has become a mania for her."
Hercule Poirot
http://www.FrontPorchRockerNews.blogspot.com
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Langford
This project includes Lankford spelling also.
"Truth and reason are eternal. They have prevailed. And they will
eternally prevail; however, in times and places they may be overborne
for a while by violence, military, civil, or ecclesiastical."
--Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson, 1810
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