elf day
or night from his master's service without his leave; he shall
not commit any unlawful deed whereby his said master shall
sustain damage, nor contract matrimony within the said term; he
shall not buy nor sell nor make any contract whatsoever, whereby
his master receive damage, but in all things behave himself as a
faithful apprentice ought to do during said term. And the said
George Wintermute shall use the utmost of his endeavors to
teach, or cause to be taught and instructed, the said apprentice
the trade or mystery he now occupieth or followeth, and procure
and provide for him, the said apprentice, sufficient meat,
drink, common wearing apparel, washing, lodging, fitting for an
apprentice during the said term; and further he, the said
master, doth agree to give unto the said apprentice, ten months'
schooling within the said term, and also the master doth agree
to give unto the said apprentice two weeks in harvest in each
and every year that he, the said apprentice, shall stay with his
said master; also the said George Wintermute, doth agree to give
unto the said apprentice one good freedom suit of clothes. And
for the true performance of all and every the said covenants and
agreements, either of the said parties binds themselves to each
other by these presents.

In witness whereof, they have interchangably put their hands and
seals, the first day of April, one thousand, eight hundred and
sixteen.

GEORGE WINTERMUTE, (Seal)
WILLIAM HATFIELD, (Seal)
JOHN WITHROW, (Seal)

Witness present:
BENJAMIN ROBERTS.

FAYETTE COUNTY, SS.:

May the 29th, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, before me
the subscriber, one of the justices of the peace, in and for the
said county, came the parties to the within indenture and
severally acknowledged it as their act and deed. Given under my
hand and seal the day and year above mentioned.

BENJAMIN ROBERTS, (Seal)

A copy of the paper binding Alfred to George Washington Palmer is on
record in the county courthouse at Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia.
Grandfather argued that if his brother, the judge, could accumulate
farms and town property and raise himself to the dignity of a judge,
Alfred certainly should do equally as well.

It was not many days before Alfred's duties would take him away from
home and