Re: Faith Light (Lyte) mid 1600's>Va.
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In reply to:
Re: Faith Light (Lyte) mid 1600's>Va.
4/21/99
Faith Lyte Townsend is thought to be the daughter or grand daughter of John Lyte and Eliz Green who were married in Maryland in 1680, during the period (1650-1705) when Puritans were expelled from Virginia. Several Accomack co Virginia records show that she married John Townshend before moving to Marlboro Co South Carolina.Faith Lyte Townshend was the father of Light Townshend.
The term transported i.e. "Richard Lee transported George Light" means that Richard Lee (the adventurer)paid for the ticket to America for George Light.In return, the immigrant aggreed to serve a "term of service" for 3-14 years as a servant.They called the ownership of servants "headrights" since the adventurer (financer) got 5o acres for each servant imported.This law was designed to encourage labor to the colonies.
The servants were called indentured servants or bond slaves, since they were not bound for life (like a slave), but for a few years.They could be bought and sold like slaves.Most Americans before 1800 came here as bond slaves.
Yes, slavery was common throughout the colonies before the civil war.The difference in treatment of slaves and of indentured servants was slight.For instance servants could be beaten, but not killed.Illigitimate children had few civil rights.Courts in Virginia were quick to accuse a Master with responsibility for having a child out of wedlock since they were otherwise farmed out as servants and supported by publick funds from the county taxes.
Slavery was hated by poor whites in the South, not for moral reasons since most farmers had been bond slaves, but because slaves replaced the poor whites on the large plantations by about 1700.Slavery was thought to be evil throughout history, and nearly all poor whites preferred poverty and freedom on their own small farms,to slave wages.Freedom was not a guarantee of having a job, just the opposite.
There is an old saying, that "Virginia would be universally respected for its freedoms, had it not been for the institution of slavery". Most of the Lights immigrated as bond slaves not freemen, including the younger sons of some of the wealthiest Lights in America.Apprenticeship by written contract for a term of years is identical to being a white bond slave.The only real differences between then and now are in civil rights, minimum wage laws, and laws that prohibit starvation, abuse and unhealthy conditions in the workplace.The only real difference was hope.
and her connections to Lyte's in Maryland. I've been reading Steve Light's information and it is fascinating. Does transporting servants
mean "slaves"? Were the Lyte's in the slave business?????
More Replies:
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Re: Faith Light (Lyte) mid 1600's>Va.
Peggy C. Wilson 9/01/99
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Re: Faith Light (Lyte) mid 1600's>Va.
7/06/99
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Re: Faith Light (Lyte) mid 1600's>Va.
4/23/99