Fourteen year-old Wright Mitchell, a free boy of color, was apprenticed to serve John A. Lane until age 21. Lane had married Sarah Applewhite in 1852 and likely lived in the Stantonsburg area.
Minute Docket, Wilson County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, October Term 1858, Wilson Court Dockets 1855-1868, http://www.ancestry.com
On 11 January 1866, Malvina E. Rountree entered into an agreement with the Goldsboro District Office of the Freedmen’s Bureau to indenture four orphaned children — Dewitt, 13, Charles, 10, George, 8, and Ike, 6.
Malvina Gill Rountree was the widow of Jonathan D. Rountree, who died in 1865. By time the 1870 census was counted, none of these children were in her household.
On 16 March 1871, a Wilson County Probate Court judge ordered eight year-old Patrick Beaman, 8, Lydia Beaman, 9, Jennie Beaman, 10, and Chloe Beaman, 15, bound as apprentices to Lawrence Ward until the girls reached 18 and the boys reached 21 years of age. He was to be trained for farmwork.
The Beamon children, then using the surname Pope, were living in Lawrence Ward’s household before they were formally apprenticed.
In the 1870 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: farmer Larrence Ward, 25; wife Mary, 20; and daughter Mary A., 3; plus Chloie, 14, Jenny, 11, Lydia, 10, and Patrick Pope, 7; and Sophia Ward, 48.
Wilson County Apprentice Bonds 1869-1914, database at https://familysearch.org.
On 9 August 1872, a Wilson County Superior Court judge ordered three year-old Adline Benton bound as an apprentice to Harrett Battle until she reached 21 years of age. She was to be trained as a house servant.
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United States Indenture and Manumission Records, 1780-1939, database at https://familysearch.org.
On 4 April 1872, a Wilson County Superior Court judge ordered twelve year-old Jerre Green bound as an apprentice to Jesse Bass until he reached 21 years of age. He was to be trained to be a farmer.
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United States Indenture and Manumission Records, 1780-1939, database at https://familysearch.org.
On 20 November 1871, a Wilson County Probate Court judge ordered 13 year-old Doctor Taylor bound as an apprentice to Jolly Taylor until he reached 21 years of age.
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In the 1870 census of Joyners township, Wilson County: farm laborer Jolly Taylor, 35; wife Patsey, 48; Dock Taylor, 15; and Nellie, 12, Haywood and Richard, 12, and George Farmer, 16.
In the 1880 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Dock Taylor, 23 farm laborer, living alone.
On 14 March 1889, Dock Taylor, 36, married Ellen Taylor, 36, at Dock Taylor’s home in Toisnot township, Wilson County. A.M.E. Zion minister James M. Copeland performed the ceremony in the presence of William R. Taylor, Curtis Taylor, and Flonny Taylor.
[More about Jolly Taylor later.]
United States Indenture and Manumission Records, 1780-1939, database at https://familysearch.org.
On 7 February 1893, a Wilson County Probate Court judge ordered 8 year-old Mary Simms bound as an apprentice to Crocket Best until she reached 18 years of age.
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In the 1870 census of Saulston township, Wayne County: farm laborer Crocket Best, 35; wife Caroline, 30; children Hilry, 12, Dennis, 10, Frank, 8, Anjaline, 6, John, 4, and Richard, 6 months; plus Milley, 20, and Bedy Best, 17.
In the 1880 census of New Hope township, Wayne County: farmer Crocket Best, 44; wife Caroline, 42; children Dennis, 20, Franklin, 18, Angeline, 15, John, 12, Richard, 9, Rachel, 6, Mary, 4, and Jamimie, 1; and aunt Rachel Best, 80.
In the 1900 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: carpenter Crocket Best, 64; wife Caroline, 62; daughter Mary, 23; and granddaughters Elizabeth, 2, and Loretta, 8.
In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: widower Crocket Best, 87; daughter Mamie, 30, cook; grandson Buster B., 5; and Bennett Stanton, 47.
On 20 October 1884, a Wilson County Probate Court judge ordered 12 year-old Dora Ann Taylor bound as an apprentice to Jordan Taylor until she reached 18 years of age.
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In the 1880 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Jordan Taylor, 35, works on R.R.; wife Jane, 22; and children James Grant, 7, Manora Ann, 4, General Washington, 3, and Lilly Green, 1; or, in the 1880 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: Jordan Taylor, 30, farm laborer; wife Adline, 22; and children Caroline, 5, and Elizabeth, 2 months.
Perhaps: on 29 May 1887, Joseph Eatmon, 30, of Wilson County, son of R. Jordan and Wilmot Eatmon, married Dora Taylor, 15, of Nash County, N.C., daughter of N[illegible] Locus and Mary Taylor, in Wilson County, with Mary Taylor’s permission. Thomas Hagans and Gilbert Howard witnessed the ceremony.
On 9 July 1895, a Wilson County Superior Court judge ordered three year-old Lydia Lancaster bound as an apprentice to Isaac Rich until she reached 18 years of age.
On 30 December 1898, a Wilson County Superior Court judge ordered 5 year-old Roman Oniel bound as an apprentice to Isaac Rich until he reached 21 years of age.
In the 1900 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: widower Isaac Rich, 50, farmer; daughters Martha A., 28, and Wibby, 16; niece Lettie Langston, 8, and nephew Rommie Oneil, 8.
In the 1910 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: farmer Isaac Rich, 60; wife Jacan, 45; nephew Roman Oneil, 18; nephew Robert Creech, 18; and laborer Bruce Depree, 18.
In 1911, Isaac Rich made this bequest in his last will and testament: “At my death I give to Roman Oneal, my foster son, who has been faithful to me, a horse worth not more than twenty dollars and one Bible to cost one dollar.”
In 1917, Roman Ricks [sic] registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 15 May 1892 in Wilson; lived in Lucama; worked as section hand on the A.C.L. Rail Road; and he had a wife and one child. He signed his name “Roman Rich.”
In the 1920 census of Crossroads township, Wilson County: farmer Roman Ricks, 24; wife Phyllis, 45; and daughter Annie, 12.
In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., directory: Rich Roman (c; Phyllis) lab h 512 New Bern
On 2 November 1941, Roman Rich, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, married Katie Sims, 51, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Wilmington, Delaware. Per their marriage application, Rich was born in North Carolina on 3 January 1895 to Isaac and Eliza Rich; was a widower; and worked as a stripper in Sun Ship Yard.
In 1942, Roman Rich registered for the World War II draft in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Per his registration card, he was born 30 January 1895 in Wilson; lived at 4835 Merion Street, Philadelphia; his contact was Katie Rich; and he worked for Lowe & Son, 46th and Lancaster Streets, Philadelphia.
Roman Rich died 9 July 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Per his death certificate, he was born 7 July 1887 in Wilson, North Carolina, to Isaac and Liza Rich; was married to Katie Rich; lived at 4812 Reno Street, Philadelphia; and he was buried in Merion Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
Wilson [County, North Carolina] Apprentice Bonds 1869-1914, http://www.familysearch.org.
Alvin Bagley was later called upon by the Freedmen’s Bureau to answer questions about his indenture of young Edwin Bagley, whom he likely had only recently emancipated.
Hat tip to Sloan Mason for alerting me to this document.