Apprenticeship records
An apprenticeship was (and is) a private matter between the
apprentice and his/her family on the one hand and the
employer/master on the other. In normal circumstances the records
remain with the parties concerned and it is only under special
circumstances that substantial groups of records (as opposed to
isolated examples found among family papers) come into being.
Persons bound
apprentice to freemen (C BRG)
One of the ways of
becoming a freeman of Hull and gaining access to the parliamentary
and local franchises (until 1832) and certain commercial advantages
was by serving an apprenticeship with a freeman. Registers of such
apprentices exist from 1651 to 1886 although very few were
registered after the freemen lost their special privileges in the
1830s.
These records, which are
held at reference C BRG/6 - C BRG/13, have
been transcribed and are now searchable by name via the online
catalogue advanced
search. Details given include the name of the apprentice, the
name of their parents and their occupation and in some cases abode,
and name, occupation and abode of the master and names of the
witnesses to the indenture.
Registers of
persons bound apprentices to seamen
Registers cover
1727-1788 (C BRG7) and 1793-1821 (C
BRE4
Indentures
cancelled or discharged by the magistrates, 1813-21 (C
CPA)
Ferries Charity
for Apprenticing
These records relate exclusively to
cases where the apprenticeship was sponsored by the charity by
virtue of the applicant’s poverty.
Indentures 1631-3,
1769-1818 are held at C WF/63-83 and 1835-42,
1894-1936 at C DMC/5/79.
Papers relating to
apprentices and applications for apprenticeships, c.1851-1962 can
be found at C DMC/5/80-103.
Poor Law
Apprentices
Indentures of persons bound apprentice at
the expense of the Poor Law Authorities 1599-1704 can be found at
reference number C BRK/3/10.
Records held
elsewhere
Registers of stamp duty paid on indentures
from 1710-1811 are held at The National
Archives. Further details and some useful general comments
on apprenticeship may be found in their Information Leaflet:
Domestic Records Information 80.