Washington District of Columbia

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Apprentice Indenture Documents
from the District of Columbia Archives

Furnished by : John Sharp ©

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Alfred Matthews, Apprentice Indenture

Image of the first page dated 6 December 1845

APPRENTICESHIP No. 1952 (Vol. V, 455-456) 
Alfred Matthews )   This Indenture made this 
	To      )   Sixth - day of December in the
Stephen Clarke  )   year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty -five 
between Col. William Doughty of the City of Washington in the District of Columbia, of 
the one part and Stephen Clark ( Colored man) of the same place Brick layer and Plaster 
of the other part  Witnesseth that the said William Doughty hath this day placed and 
bound out his negro boy Slave named Alfred Matthews, aged Fifteen years as an 
apprentice to the Said Stephen Clarke, to learn his art trade and mystery, and after the 
manner of an apprentice to dwell with and serve the said Stephen Clarke from the day of 
the date these presents for and during and until the full end and term of Six years, as  a 
good and faithful apprentice ought to do, and during which said and term the Said 
apprentice shall behave demean and conduct himself in a Peaceable orderly manner 
towards  his said master and peaceably honorably and orderly and obedient manner 
toward his said Master and peacefully, honestly and orderly towards the rest of his said 
Masters family and shall perform his duty in all lawful business at which he may be 
placed by his said Master whether it be to work at his trade or otherwise and in winter 
when there is no work or business for his said Masters benefit at which his said Master 
may see fit lawfully to put him.  And the said Stephen Clarke on his part doth covenant, 
promise and agree with said William Doughty to furnish and provide the said apprentice 
with good and sufficient food clothes washing lodging and other things requisite and 
necessary to health and comfort - and suitable to his condition and keep him provided 
with a suit of clothes suitable for Sundays and fit to appear in Church during his said 
apprenticeship and to pay proper attention to his morals and in case of sickness to take 
care of his said apprentice and procure for him medical aid as he would for one of his 
own family to give him six months schooling and especially to teach and instruct or cause 
his apprentice to be taught and instructed in the art trade mystery and calling of a 
Bricklayer and plaster  by the best ways and means in his power and when his said term 
of service shall expire to give him a suit of clothes suitable for Sunday and to return him 
if he shall be living to the Said William Doughty his executors administrators or assigns 
in case of the death of the said William Clarke before the Said expiration of his said term 
of service the said William Doughty or his legal representative or assigns -

	In testimony whereof the said William Doughty and Stephen Clarke hath hereunto 
interchangeably  Set their hands and seals the day and year herein first- before written  
Signed Sealed and delivered - 
ea in the presence of 					{ William Doughty (SEAL)
	B K Meorsell					{ Stephen Clarke  (SEAL)





District of Columbia}
Washington County to wit, on this Sixth day of December in the years of our Lord One 
thousand and eight hundred and forty five before the Subscriber A Justice of the peace in 
and for the said County personally appeared the above named William Doughty and 
Stephen Clarke and severally acknowledged the foregoing and the above indenture to be 
true and correct for the purposes therein especially 
			        Acknowledged before 
					BK Meorsell JP 	
				Approved by the board 26th Jan 1845

 
Master Bricklayer Stephen Clarke & Alfred Matthews

Stephen Clarke and Alfred Matthews are both listed on the 1850 US Census for the District of Columbia as living in the 7th Ward. Stephen Clarke is listed as the head of the household and his home is composed of himself and 11 other individuals. The Dennis Lemmen family may be related to the Stephen Clarke's or perhaps like Alfred Matthew's, Dennis Lemmen, is a former apprentice still residing with his boss. Also from the census enumeration it appears that Alfred Matthews has successfully completed his apprenticeship and his now a freeman. He may still be enslaved since census takers were apparently confusing and wrote free where enslaved blacks were living on their own in the city of Washington see the petition of Ignatius Tiglman which is included in the Sisters of the Visitation Petition for Compensation.

Name Age Race: Occupation Value of Real Estate Born
Stephen Clarke 48 B Plasterer 1, 200 Md
Delila 47 B    Va
Hamilton 15 B     Dist Col
Sarah M. 13 B    do
John W. 11 B    do
Dennis Lemmen 24 B Brick maker   Md
Catherine A. Lemmen 22 B    do
Julia A.   7 B     do
Arthur  4 B    do
Mary  2 B    do
Joseph  1 B    do
Alfred Mathews20 M Plaster   do

William Clarke's address is listed in the 1857 Directory for Georgetown and the District of Columbia as "Stephen Clarke (col.) bricklayer n side between 1 & 2 w "

Apprentice Indentures for Enslaved African Americans in the District of Columbia:
Some slave masters like William Doughty chose to have their slaves learn a trade and had them taught a craft although formally apprenticing a slave through an indenture, as Col Doughty did was rare but not without precedent (see Naval Constructor Josiah Fox, who had two of his young slaves taught the shipwright trade 1809 Manumissions by Josiah Fox
Most white master mechanics however would not consent to a black apprentice less they lose business and status to the all prevailing racism of the era. In this case though William Doughty had his young slave Alfred Matthews taught bricklaying and plastering by Master Bricklayer Stephen Clarke who was a free black man and very successful in his own business. While we may never completely know William Doughty's motive for apprenticing his slave Alfred Matthews, perhaps, his decision was a savvy combination of entrepreneurship and benevolence. In any case it is probable that Alfred Matthews was able to purchase his freedom from William Doughty sometime prior to September 1850 when his name was enumerated among the free blacks of the District of Columbia.

William Doughty (1773 -1859) was a very wealthy and influential man who worked as a Naval Constructor at Washington Navy Yard for many years and helped design some of the many ships constructed for the early U.S. Navy for more on his life see: The title Colonel dated from William Doughty's service to the District of Columbia militia during the War of 1812
Biography of William Doughty

The 1850 US Census for the District of Columbia enumerates William Doughty
as living in Georgetown and his household as:
Name Age Race: Occupation Value of Real Estate Born
William Dougthy 77   Retired on his income     $35.000 Penn
Eliza 53    England
Ann G. Bild 33       do

His name is not enumerate on the 1850 US Census for the District of Columbia as a slave owner which further tends to confirm Doughty manumitted Alfred Matthews sometime prior to the Census.

 

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