country, and his age shown to be under sixteen years, he was not again produced, and, therefore, to the end of his term remained unlisted. In consequence of the loss of public revenue from this course of action, it was provided that all persons of this class, however young, who were imported into the Colony after 1649, were to be liable for the payment of county levies.[1] Natives of Virginia under sixteen were excepted from the operation of this statute, and to this number also were added the children under that age who had arrived in the country in the company of their parents, or without articles of apprenticeship.[2] In 1680, the general law applicable to tithables was again substantially altered, the fourteenth year being adopted as the legal age in the case of all Christian servants who had been brought into the Colony.[3] Every woman who was employed in the fields had to be returned as a tithable.[4] No servant who had been imported by a merchant for sale was for the first year held to be a tithable until he was disposed of.[5]
When the term for which a servant was bound, whether by indenture or the custom of the country, had expired, he proceeded to the court of the county in which he lived, in company with his master, or with the testimonial of the latter that he was now at liberty. The fact that he was free was entered on record by the clerk, and a certificate to that effect was drawn up and presented to him, which justified any one in employing him as a laborer. If the document was shown to be a forgery, the servant was compelled to stand two hours in the pillory on court day. The certificate, in case it was lost, could at any time be renewed.[6] The General Court appears to have leaned towards rather than away from members of this class
