Commonwealth ex rel. Crispin v. Jones
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
HABEAS CORPUS. George Crispin, the relator, on the 27th December, 1801, being a poor child, was bound by the overseers of the poor of the township of Lozver Dublin in Philadelphia county, as an apprentice to Jacob Miles, for the term of 17 years, from the 13th January, 1802. Miles, on the 4th May, 1814, in consideration of 60 dollars, assigned the indenture to Joshua Jones, the defendant, in the presence of Thomas F. Gordon, a justice of the peace of Philadelphia county.
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HABEAS CORPUS. George Crispin, the relator, on the 27th December, 1801, being a poor child, was bound by the overseers of the poor of the township of Lozver Dublin in Philadelphia county, as an apprentice to Jacob Miles, for the term of 17 years, from the 13th January, 1802. Miles, on the 4th May, 1814, in consideration of 60 dollars, assigned the indenture to Joshua Jones, the defendant, in the presence of Thomas F. Gordon, a justice of the peace of Philadelphia county. At the time of the assignment, Crispin had a father and mother living within two miles of the defendant, who did not appear…
1Opinion of the Court
Gibson J.
(After stating the case.) 1. What would be the true construction of the act of the 29th September, 1770, if the first point turned on it, I will not now pretend to determine ; but it wo.uld require strong expressions in a statute to induce me to consent to overturn the practice of nearly half a century: and, during that period, it has uniformly been customary for overseers of the poor to execute indentures of apprenticeship, without requiring the signature of the apprentice. And there is good reason for it; for what would be more absurd than to require sealing and delivery by an…
2Cases cited2 opinions
- Lessee of Watson v. BaileySupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1808
- Commonwealth v. BlaineSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1811
3Cited by4 opinions
- Hammond v. People ex rel. VacaroIllinois Supreme Court · 1863
- Cameron v. MontgomerySupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1825
- Camp v. Bank of OwegoSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1840
- McGunigal v. MongSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1847