Parish Apprentices Act 1816
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1816 c. 139 |
| Year | 1816 |
(56 Geo. 3) C A P. CXXXIX.
[2d July 1816]
'WHEREAS many Grievances have arisen from the binding of poor Children as Apprentices by Parish Officers to improper Persons, and to Persons residing at a Distance from the Parishes to which such Poor Children belong, whereby the said Parish Officers, and the Parents of such Children, are deprived of the Opportunity of knowing the manner in which such Children are treated, and the Parents and Children have, in many Instances, become estranged from each other; and also from the Permission given to Apprentices, by the Persons to whom such Apprentices have been bound, to serve others without a formal Assignment, whereby the Discretion to be exercised by Magistrates in placing out Apprentices to suitable Persons, is frequently rendered of no avail: For Remedy whereof, be it enacted by The King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That from and after the First Day ofOctober in the Year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixteen, before any Child shall be bound Apprentice by the Overseers of the Poor of any Parish, Township or Place, such Child shall be carried before Two Justices of the Peace of the County, Riding, Division or Place wherein such Parish, Township or Place shall be situate, who shall enquire into the Propriety of binding such Child Apprentice to the Personor Persons to whom it shall be proposed by such Overseers to bind such Child; and such Justices shall particularly enquire and consider whether such Person or Persons reside, or have his, her or their Place or Places of Business within a reasonable Distance from the Place to which such Child shall belong, having regard to the Means of Communication between such Places, or whether any Circumstances shall make it fit, in the Judgement of such Justices, that such Child should be placed Apprentice at a greater Distance; and if the Father or Motherof such Child shall be living, and shall reside in or near the Place to which such Child shall belong, such Justices shall (if they see fit) examine such Father or Mother, or either of them, and shall particularly enquire as to the Distance of the Residence or Place of Business of the Person or Persons to whom it shall be proposed to place such Child, and the Means of Communication therewith; and such Justices shall also enquire into the Circumstancesand Character of such Person or Persons; and if such Justices shall, upon such Examination and Enquiry, think it proper that such Child should be bound Apprentice to such Person or Persons, such Justices shall make an Order, declaring that such Person or Persons is or are fit Person or Persons to whom such Child may be properly bound as Apprentice, and shall thereupon order that the Overseer or Overseers of the Place to which such Child shall belong, shall be at liberty to bind such Child Apprentice accordingly; which Order shall be delivered to such Overseer or Overseers, as the Warrant for binding such Child Apprentice as aforesaid, and such Order shall be referred to by the Date thereof, and the Names of the said Justice in the Indenture of Apprenticeship of such Child; and after such Order shall have been made, such Justices shall sign their Allowance of such Indenture of Apprenticeship, before the same shall be executed by any of the other Parties thereto: Provided always, that no such Child shall be bound Apprentice to any Person or Persons residing or having any Establishment in Trade, at which it is intended that such Child shall be employed out of the same County, at a greater Distance than Forty Miles from the Parish or Place to which such Child shall belong, unless such Child shall belong to some Parish or Place which shall be more than Forty Miles from the City ofLondon , in which case it shall be lawful for the Justices who shall authorize the apprenticing of such Child to make a special Order for that Purpose, in which Order such Justices shall distinctly specify the Grounds on which they shall think fit to allow of the apprenticing of such Child to a Person or Persons residing, or having an Establishment in Trade, at a greater Distance than Forty Miles from the Parish or Place to which such Child shall belong.
II Indenture to be allowed by Two Justice of the County into which Apprentice is to be bound, as well as by Two Justices of the County from which he is bound.
II. And be it further enacted, That in all cases where the Residence or Establishment of Business of the Person or Persons to whom any Child shall be bound, shall be within a different County or Jurisdiction of the Peace, from that within which the Place by the Officers whereof such Child shall be bound shall be situated, and in all other cases where the Justices of the Peace for the District or Place within which the Place by the Officers whereof such Child shall be bound shall be situated, and who shall sign the Allowance of the Indenture by which such Child shall be bound, shall not have Jurisdiction, every Indenture by which such Child shall be bound at any time after the said First Day ofOctober shall be allowed as well by Two Justices of the Peace for the County or District within which the Place by the Officers of which such Child shall be bound shall be situated, as by Two Justices of the Peace for the County or District within which the Place shall be situated wherein such Child shall be intended to serve: Provided always, that no Indenture shall be allowed by any Justice of the Peace for the County into which such Child shall be bound, who shall be engaged in the same Business...
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