State of Indiana Tippecanoe County

This Indenture made this sixteenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty five between Edward Dryer and Jesse W. Murray overseers of the poor of Sheffield Township in the County of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana of the one part and Samuel Litten of the county aforesaid of the other part

Witnesseth that the said overseers have put places and bound and do by these presents put place and bind Robert Adams a poor boy aged fifteen years as an apprentice to the said Samuel Litten to be taught the art trade and occupation of a cooper which he the said Samuel Litten now uses: And to live with and serve him the said Samuel Litten as an apprentice for the terms of six years from this date that is to say until he the said Robert Adams shall arrive to the age of twenty one years if the same Samuel Litten shall so long live and the said overseers do by these presents give unto the said Samuel Litten all the right power and authority over the said Robert Adams and his service during the said term which by the laws of said state a master has in and over a lawful indentured apprentice and the said Samuel Litten in consideration thereof doth on his part covenant promise and agree to and with the said overseers and their successors in office and such and every of them and with the said Robert Adams that he will teach and instruct the said Robert Adams as his apprentice or cause him to be well and sufficiently taught and instructed in the art trade and occupation of a cooper after the best manner that he can and also to give and cause to be given twelve months schooling in a common English school and train him to habits of industry and morality and during the term of his apprenticeship to provide and allow for him sufficient meat drink washing lodging and apparel and all other things necessary for an apprentice during his said term of apprenticeship and the said Samuel Litten further covenants and agrees to furnish and give the said apprentice at the expiration of his aforesaid apprenticeship or term of service One hundred dollars and a new suit of wearing apparel worth twenty five dollars and coarse wearing apparel to last him the said Robert Adams at least three months after the expiration of his apprenticeship.

In witness whereof the said parties have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year above written

Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of
Attest
R. Blacklidge
D.S. Bush

Signed:
Edward M. Dryer  {seal}
Jesse W. Murray {seal}
Samuel Litten {seal}

A true record
Recorded May the 6th 1835  -  S. C. Cox Recorder

Transcribed from Record of Poor Children's Indentures for Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1833-1846, pp. 10-11