| Date | 1785 |
|---|---|
| Law/Legislation | Law |
| Jurisdiction | VA |
| Title | Chapter LXXXIII |
| Description/Full Text | An act concerning servants states all white persons not being citizens of any of the confederated states of America, who shall come into this Commonwealth under contract to serve another, shall be compelled to perform such contract as shall not exceed seven years. Infants under fourteen years shall serve until twenty-one or for such shorter term as is fixed. Servants shall be provided by their master with food, clothes, lodging; lazy, disorderly servants may, on order of a justice, be corrected by stripes, and serve two days for every day they refuse to serve. If the master fail in his duties to his servants, they may be discharged from service if the injury is gross. All contracts between master and servants are void. |
| Additional Information | – |
| Source | Black Laws of Virginia, By: June Purcell Guild |
| Transcriber Notes | – |
If you are citing this record, please use the following format:
[Author (if known)], Laws and Legislation Related to Slavery and Free Blacks in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia (1642-1860), [Date (if known)], Enduring Connections: Exploring Delmarva’s Black History, Nabb Research Center, Salisbury University.
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