$492
Irish Indentured Servant Letter, New England, 18th Century. Autograph letter signed by semi-literate Irish indentured servant Rhoda Lawson, begging for help from a friend to release her from her indenture, inscribed over one page, 12 1/2 x 8 in. A rare survival, documenting the plight of an indentured servant, asking a friend for a loan of thirty pounds to buy out the remainder of her and her husband's indenture contract. The handwriting is quite elegant, but the orthography and grammar are crude. Lawson writes, "[they] yous me so ill the[y] out give me as much as apeair of sows [shoes] for feair I wod go to meeting." She objects to an upcoming move to Easton, and makes a provocative statement on race "If I go there I am afreaid I shall loose my life among them for I am wors yousd then eny neger." Lawson also refers to her origins in "irland" and states, "we are streangers hear" and mentions coming to "newingland." "We steaid theair while we spent our mony and then we weair oblidg onfortantly to bind us to come heair."
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2017-05-23
