This law, "An Act for repealing an Act for Irish Servants," passed by
the General Assembly in its
March 1660 (New Style) session, repeals an earlier act that established the terms of service
specifically for immigrants from Ireland who arrived in Virginia without indentures.
WHEREAS the act for Irish servants
comeing in without indentures enjoyning them to serve six yeeres, carried with it
both rigour and inconvenience,
— page 539 —
many
by the length of time they have to serve being discouraged from comeing into the
country, And by that meanes the peopling of the country retarded, And these
inconveniences augmented by the addition of the last clause in that act, That all
aliens should be included, Bee it therefore enacted and
confirmed, That the whole act be repealed and made void and null, And that
for the future no servant comeing into the country without indentures, of what
christian nation soever, shall serve longer then those of our own country, of the
like age: And it is further enacted, That what alien soever
arrive here before that clause was inserted and that hath been by vertue of that last
clause inforced to serve any time longer then the custom of the countrey did oblige
them to shall be allowed competent wages by their severall masters for the time they
have overserved, Any act, order of court or judgment to the contrary notwithstanding,
Provided alwaies that all such aliens as came in servants
during the time that the said clause was in force shall serve according to the tenor
of that act.
