Now, this blog is a wee bit of a play on words, of course. ‘Get Smart’ brings to mind ‘Don Adams’ aka ‘Maxwell Smart’ secret agent 86 of Control (1965 – 1970 TV series). Well, my ancestor was ‘Adam Smart’ of Leaveland, Kent and he was a ‘wheeler’. (Maxwell Smart was always known for his cars/wheels). The document for todays blog is a 1713 apprenticeship receipt as Adam took on some new help. The contract was for 7 years and bound the young man to his master. As you figured out this arrangement could have been slanted towards the master as he was ‘paid’ to keep the apprentice. Adam had to ensure that his understudy learned and progressed.
