Sarah Sprague Letter of Servitude, 1873 (Vermont)
Title
Sarah Sprague Letter of Servitude, 1873 (Vermont)
Description
This letter was in a collection donated to the Historical Room. While not a Granville document it is an excellent example of the type of agreements drawn up between families.
Hiram Morse and his wife Isabel were elderly and in need of household help. Sarah Sprague's mother Lucy was in difficult straits having been widowed with four children in 1866 when her husband Charles died of consumption (TB).
The world was not a friendly place for a mother in those circumstances. With few social safety nets Lucy had to find ways to look after her children's welfare.
In 1873 a deal was struck with the Morse couple for 13 year-old Sarah to live with them basically as a servant, in return for making sure she was cared for and provided with an education. She was also paid $1 per week.
This was not uncommon in those days, particularly in the wake of the Civil War when so many husbands died leaving widows and small children. Even in Granville children became servants in another household because their widowed mother could not care for all the children, or she died from any number of diseases that were commonplace at the time, leaving orphans behind.
In retrospect one can see how much trust was placed in the Morse's and how agreements of this type could go terribly wrong, taking advantage of the circumstances of the poor. In this case research seems to indicate that the agreement was honorably met by all parties.
Sarah seems to have served Hiram and Isabel Morse faithfully for at least a year, and taken advantage of her opportunity for an education. She went on to marry, raise a family and has many descendants today.
As a footnote, the Historical Room was contacted by Sarah's great-great-great granddaughter requesting a copy of this letter. A nice way to help piece together the story of Sarah's fascinating life.
Hiram Morse and his wife Isabel were elderly and in need of household help. Sarah Sprague's mother Lucy was in difficult straits having been widowed with four children in 1866 when her husband Charles died of consumption (TB).
The world was not a friendly place for a mother in those circumstances. With few social safety nets Lucy had to find ways to look after her children's welfare.
In 1873 a deal was struck with the Morse couple for 13 year-old Sarah to live with them basically as a servant, in return for making sure she was cared for and provided with an education. She was also paid $1 per week.
This was not uncommon in those days, particularly in the wake of the Civil War when so many husbands died leaving widows and small children. Even in Granville children became servants in another household because their widowed mother could not care for all the children, or she died from any number of diseases that were commonplace at the time, leaving orphans behind.
In retrospect one can see how much trust was placed in the Morse's and how agreements of this type could go terribly wrong, taking advantage of the circumstances of the poor. In this case research seems to indicate that the agreement was honorably met by all parties.
Sarah seems to have served Hiram and Isabel Morse faithfully for at least a year, and taken advantage of her opportunity for an education. She went on to marry, raise a family and has many descendants today.
As a footnote, the Historical Room was contacted by Sarah's great-great-great granddaughter requesting a copy of this letter. A nice way to help piece together the story of Sarah's fascinating life.
Collection
Citation
“Sarah Sprague Letter of Servitude, 1873 (Vermont),” Granville History Digital Collection, accessed April 19, 2024, https://granvillehistory.omeka.net/items/show/929.
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