indenture made 21.=.1701 witnesseth that Jn Newton and Jn Patrick overseers of the poor for Earls Colne and Thos Piper and Jn White churchwardens and with the consent of Jn Cressener and Peter Whitcombe esqs two justices of the peace have put placed and bound Thos Paine being a poor fatherless and motherless child as apprentice with Peter Sturgeon of Rochford Essex fellmonger and as an apprentice with him to dwell from this date until the age of twenty four years during which time Thos Paine shall faithfully serve his master etc and Peter Stugeon covenants to teach his apprentice the art he now useth also he will keep him in food etc and all things needful in witness signed and sealed the pages first stamped with two 6d stamps Peter Sturgin P Whitcombe Jn Cressener justices of the peace witnesses Geo Peartree Mary Hutton