48 The Life of Fred Archer 
Dawson said to Fred's father : "He will do, Archer, you may 
leave him." 
So, leaving Freddie behind him, Mr. Archer returned home, 
most likely thinking he had given the hope of his family a good 
start off in the world. 
Mr. Dawson seems to have been taken with the boy from 
the very first. Fred was apprenticed for the usual time — five 
years. The ordinary terms were a fiver for etceteras the first 
year, but Mr. Dawson said : " Well, I shall give him an extra 
sovereign. I like the look of his head." However, he seems 
to have given Fred not one, but two pounds extra. 
At any rate. Archer was apprenticed, and the indentures 
read as follows : 
" This indenture witnesseth that Frederick Archer now or 
late of Prestbury near Cheltenham in the County of Gloucester of the 
age of eleven years or thereabouts with the consent of his father 
William Archer of Prestbury aforesaid Innkeeper doth put himself 
apprentice to Mathew Dawson of Newmarket All Saints in the County 
of Cambridge Training Groom to learn his Art and with him after the 
manner of an apprentice to serve from the day of the date hereof until 
the full end and term of Five Years from thence next following to be 
fully completed and ended. 
" During which term the said apprentice his Master faithfully shall 
serve his secrets keep his lawful commands everywhere gladly obey he 
shall do no damage to his said Master nor see to be done of others but 
to his power shall tell or forthwith give warning to his said Master of 
the same he shall not waste the goods of his said Master or tend them 
unlawfully to any he shall not commit fornication nor contract matri- 
mony during the said term he shall not play at cards or dice tables or 
any other unlawful games whereby his said Master may have any loss 
with his said goods or others during the said term, without licence from 
his said Master he shall neither buy nor sell he shall not haunt Taverns 
nor play-houses nor absent himself from his said Master's service day 
or night unlawfully. But in all things as a faithful apprentice he shall 
behave himself towards his said Master and all his during the said 
term and the said Mathew Dawson in consideration of the services of 
the same Fred Archer doth covenant with the said William Archer that 
he the said Mathew Dawson will pay unto the said Fred Archer the 
undermentioned wages the said term that is to say Seven Guineas for 
the First Year Nine Guineas for the Second Year Eleven Guineas for 
