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Robert Melrose's Labour Contract
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An Agreement, made this twenty fourth day of May, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and fifty two years BETWEEN Robert Melrose in the parish of Garvald in the County of Haddington in Scotland of the one Part, and The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England, Trading into Hudson's Bay, by Kenneth McKenzie, their Agent, of the other Part, as follows,
The said Robert Melrose, hereby contracts and agrees to enter into the Service and Employment of the said Company in North America in the capacity of Labourer and that he will embark when thereunto required on board such Ship or Vessel as shall by appointed by or on behalf of the said Company and proceed to North America and for the Term of five years to be computed from the said Embarkation and for such further time as hereinafter mentioned and faithfully serve the said Company as their hired Servant in the capacity of Labourer and devote the whole of his time and labour for their sole benefit, and that he will do his duty as such and perform all such work and service by day or by night for the said Company as he shall be required to do and obey all the orders which he shall receive from the Governor of the Company in North America or other their Officers or Agents for the time being. And that he will with courage and fidelty in his said station in the said Service, defend the property of the said Company and their Factories & Territories, and will not absent himself from the said Service nor engage or be concerned in any Trade or Employment whatsoever except for the benefit of the said Company and according to their Orders. And that all Goods obtained by Barter with the Indians or otherwise which shall come to the hands or possession of the said Robert Melrose shall be held by him for the said Company only, and shall be duly delievered up to the said Governors or other Officers at their Factory or Trading Post without any waste, spoil or injury thereto. And in case of any wilful neglect or default herein he shall be make good to the said Company all such loss or damage as they shall sustain thereby to be deducted out of his Wages And that the said Robert Melrose will faithfully obey all laws, orders and regulations, established or made by the said Company for the good government of their Settlements and Territories And at all times during the residence of the said Robert Melrose in North America he will defend the rights and privileges of the said Company and aid and support their Officers and Agents to the utmost of his power. And the said Robert Melrose further engages and agrees that in case he shall omit to give notice to the Governor or Officers of the said Company in North America one year or upwards before the expiration of the said Term of five Years of his intention to quit their Service and return then that he hereby promises and engages to remain one Year longer and also until the next Ship in the Service of the Said Company shall sail from thence to Europe as their hired Servant in North America upon the terms as are contained in this Contract And the said Robert Melrose also engages and agrees that in [illegible] the said Company shall not [illegible] ship which will sail from North America for Europe immediately after the suspension of the said five years or of such further term as herein before mentioned then he hereby promises and engages to remain in the Service as a hired Servant of the said Company in North America until the next ship of the said Company or some ship provided by them shall sail from thence to Europe upon the like terms as are contained in this Contract. Provided always that the said Robert Melrose always further agrees to keep watch and ward and perform such other work in the Navigation of the Ship of the said Company on which he shall be embarked on the outward and homeward Voyages as he shall be required to perform by the Commanding Officer of the said vessel. And the said Kenneth McKenzie on behalf of the said Company hereby engages that upon condition of the [illegible] and faithful service of the said Robert Melrose in like manner as aforesaid but not otherwise the said Robert Melrose shall receive from the said Company after the rate of Seventeen Pounds per annum to commence on the day of his embarkation for North America as aforesaid and up to the day of his embarkation from thence for Europe in one of the ships of the said Company's Service [illegible] any Ship provided by them Provided always and it is hereby [remainder of document largely illegible]