past part. of verb to assign,to allot. Used as
1827. `Captain Robinson's Report,' Dec. 23:
«It was a subject of complaint among the settlers, that theirassigned servants could not be known from soldiers, owing totheir dress; which very much assisted the crime of`bush-ranging.'»
1837. J. D. Lang, `New South Wales,' vol. ii. p. 31
«The assigned servant of a respectable Scotch family residingnear Sydney.»
1845. R. Howitt, `Australia,' p. 75:
«Of the first five persons we saw to Van Diemen's Land, fourwere convicts, and perhaps the fifth. These were the assignedservants of the pilot.»
1848. W. Westgarth, `Australia Felix,' p. 324:
«Under the old practice, the convicts, as soon as they arrivedfrom Britain, were assigned among the various applicants. Theservant thus assigned was bound to perform diligently, fromsunrise till sunset, all usual and reasonable labour.»