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Ask a Colonist: Life as an Indentured Servant

The answers below are not from a real indentured servant in history, but from a historical interpreter at Historic St. Mary’s City answering in the voice of an indentured servant. Read on for her answers to questions about her reasons for coming here and interactions with Indigenous people.

Why might an Indentured Servant come to Maryland?

“Well, I was trained to be a servant as a young girl. And then I married. I had two boys. Then I lost my husband and sons to the Black Death – the plague. Ah, it was a long time ago.

“Well, after they died, I went to work for the Cox family. I've been taking care of Mistress Cox since she was a young girl. And she comes to me and she says she's going to America. And I thought ‘I'm out of a position! I'll have nowhere to work!’ Very difficult to find a position back in England - too many people, not enough work. I could be dead on the streets.

“Well, she asked me if I wanted to come with her. And here I am – indentured. And with that fifty acres in land rights at the end of my indenture, I'll be valuable indeed.”

What have you learned from the native peoples?

“I know all about growing English herbs. Ah, but here we are in Maryland, where we got to have some grain. Can't be relying on the ships to bring grain from England. A ship could go down and sink and we'd be hungry. Well, here we are with these Yaocomaco women showing me how to grow the corn. Well, all in hills – in groups! They don't clear the field completely. Well, I know not how to dress the corn, and they show me that as well. Mix it with water and heat it on hot rocks, they did. But I fried it up good and crisp, making corn cakes. We've been eating it that way ever since.”

Are you afraid of Yaocomaco people attacking the colony?

“Master Calvert was very careful about where he seated us. Had the help of a fur trader – Captain Henry Fleet. Knew the language of these Yaocomaco people, and he knew what they were up to. And he knew that they were leaving. Well, here we are in this Yaocomaco town, but there's still some among us. And they treat us very kindly – bring us fish and turkey. Well, I have no fear of them at all.”