"It has been a family tradition that our ancestor, Samuel Handy, was a native of England, that he came to this country as a Redemptioner, and that immediately upon his arrival he indentured himself to a man by the name of Waters. As the story goes, he was, at that time, a minor of only fifteen years, and being entirely without friends, he contracted to remain with Waters until his majority, the condition being that the master should pay all expenses of the voyage across the Atlantic. On this subject the late Gen. George Handy of Md. has furnished the following statements: 'Most of the information, on the subject matter of your letter, I have derived from oral communication, which has come in such a variety of ways, and yet all agreeing, that there is not a shadow of doubt, the tradition I have received is correct. The information, which I possess, was derived from my father, who was born in 1756, and consequently, would be, were he yet alive, one hundred years old. He invariably stated that the first of the name came to America, a boy, and that he was a Redemptioner - that is, he being a minor, was indentured to a man by the name of Waters, until he attained full age, to pay the expenses of his voyage from England to Maryland. He was the first of the name of whom we have any account.'" (1)
Lieut. Col. Waters' division [includes:] Samuel Handy." (1)
(1) Isaac W.K. Handy, Annals and Memorials of the Handys and Their Kindred (Ann Arbor, Michigan: William L. Clements Library, 1992), 1-4.