Records of the Livery Companies of London are one of the greatest archival treasures of the world. Dating from the early medieval period to the present, they provide a mass of information on innumerable subjects. For the family historian, they can provide an immense amount of genealogical and biographical details on members.
The Abstracts provide information from the apprenticeship records of a number of the livery companies selected because the records generally give good genealogical detail, principally, the name, parish and occupation of the apprentice's father. For a given livery company, the abstracts will generally end about 1800 or later, depending on the coverage of the manuscript volume containing that year. In some cases records cease before 1800.
Over 165,000 of these record abstracts are contained in the database, with over half a million names indexed: apprentices, their parent, and masters. In nearly every case, the father (more rarely the mother) of the apprentice is given, with their place of residence - which can be anywhere in the British Isles or overseas.
Less than 30% of the “London” apprentices actually came from the London area, though the proportion varies significantly between the different companies. For example, the Blacksmiths’ and Fishmongers’ apprentices include over 33% from London and Middlesex, compared to just under 31% for the Butchers, and under 21% for the Grocers. It should be borne in mind that an apprentice’s master does not necessarily follow the trade indicated by the company name. While it may be tempting to think that the prestige of a company might affect the number of apprentices coming from outside the Metropolitan area, this does not seem to be the case, for the Grocers’ is the second of the “Great Twelve” livery companies while the Fishmongers’ is the 4th.
Example abstracts and what they tell you
In early records, persons who belonged to a given livery company would generally practice the trade to which that Company referred, but after about 1650, it became more and more common (until in some companies virtually universal) that members practised another trade altogether. Searchers, therefore, even if they know the occupation of the subject of interest, may not be able to find the right livery company to search at all easily.
To get the most out of the Abstracts, we recommend you read this page:
About London Livery Companies
Livery companies included in the abstracts
Apprentice records for the companies listed below have been abstracted and indexed. Click the company name for more details.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Example abstracts and what they tell you
The London Apprentices Abstracts contain the name of the apprentice; his father's (rarely the mother's) name, place of residence (parish or town, county, and country, if not England); father's occupation; the name of the master and the date of the indenture. If the father was stated to be dead, this is indicated. If the record notes that he was subsequently turned over to another master, or, as is sometimes recorded, became free, died etc, this is also noted.
The value of these abstracts is best illustrated by the examples below.
Example 1:
| Bernard Ackett, son of Richard, [living at] Sherborne, Hampshire, [father's occupation] husbandman, [apprenticed to] Francis Gray, Armourers' & Brasiers' Company, [date of indenture] 31 May 1713 |
Direct inferences from the record
- Bernard Ackett's father was Richard Ackett
- Richard Ackett and Bernard Ackett were living at Sherborne, in the county of Hampshire, in May 1713
- Richard Ackett's occupation was a husbandman
- Bernard Ackett was apprenticed to Francis Gray on 31 May 1713
- Francis Gray was a member of the London Livery Company of Armourers & Brasiers. (This does not necessarily mean that he actually was an armourer or a brasier, or that Bernard Ackett became a practicing armourer or brasier.)
- Bernard Ackett, Richard Ackett (probably) and Francis Gray were all alive on 31 May 1713 [NB The abstracts generally say if the father is dead]
- Bernard Ackett was 14 [to confirm] years old or more on 31 May 1713, implying he was born before 1700.
- Bernard Ackett moved from Hampshire to in or near London shortly after 31 May 1713
- Richard Ackett was almost certainly over 30 years old on 31 May 1713, implying he was born before 1683
- Richard Ackett was [most likely] married before 1700
- Francis Gray probably lived in [or near] London in 1713
- Francis Gray was probably over 25 [to confirm] years old on 17 May 1713, implying he was born before 1687
- Bernard Ackett [may have] resided in London until around 1720
- Bernard Ackett [probably] resided at same address as Francis Gray for approx. 7 years from 31 May 1713
- Bernard Ackett may have become "free" to practice his trade in about 1720
- Bernard Ackett may have married someone with the surname Gray [around 20-30% of apprentices married their master's daughter]
- Bernard Ackett was born [reasonable possibility] in Hampshire
| Abbisdiston, Jonas, son of Jonas, Holborn, cordwainer(deceased), to Thomas Atwood, Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers' Company, 9 Sep 1725 |
Example 3:
| Abbott, Michael, son of Thomas, [living at] St Ann Blackfriars, London, [occupation of father] shoemaker, to [master] Benjamin Carey, 19 Nov 1761, [member of] Armourers' & Brasiers's Company |
Example 4:
| Abercrumey, Thomas, son of John, Shoreditch, Middlesex, shoemaker, to Edward Staples sr., 4 Nov 1729, Framework Knitters' Company |
Example 5:
| Bishop, Thomas, son of Thomas, Eastington, Gloucestershire, tailor (deceased), to John Hoskins, 1 Jan 1679/80, Bowyers' Company |
, since the date is before 25 March.
Example 6:
| Abbott, George, son of William, Arthingworth [? in Ms 'Archinborough'], Nth, fuller, to William Moore, 14 Oct 1682, Carmens' Company |
Example 7:
| Bourne, Richard, bound apprentice 10 Aug 1660, to Richard Edwards, turned over to William Presbury, 18 Nov 1667, Spectaclemakers' Company |
Example 8:
| Cam, Joseph, son of John, St Margaret Westminster, Mdx, schoolmaster, to Henry Wilson, jnr., 30 Apr 1740 [31 Jul 1742 turned over to George Prous, citizen and turner with consent of master] Basketmakers' Company |
About apprenticeships
How old were children when they were apprenticed?
It is often assumed that the normal age was 14, but in fact when indentured the average age of an apprentice was about 17 years, certainly no younger than 11 and usually no older than 21 - though on occasion the apprentice could be over 30. The great majority of apprentices would have been between 14 and 19 when indentured.
How long did an apprenticeship last?
Apprenticeships generally lasted seven years, but were occasionally shorter or longer, possibly up to 10 years, especially if the apprentice was younger than normal when indentured. So, generally, the apprentice would be over 21 when he or she finished. On completion of the apprenticeship the apprentice generally - though not always - became a member of the master's company, described as becoming free of that company. Not all apprentices completed their apprenticeship: some died; some left their masters early; some ran away.
Did masters always follow the trade indicated by company name?
This was the case until about the mid-seventeenth century, after which it became increasingly common (in some companies virtually universal) for members of a given livery company to practice another trade altogether. Where it is known that the master followed a different trade this will be indicated in the abstract.
What does turned over mean?
A turn over occured when a new master was appointed. Apprentices were turned over for a variety of reasons; for example the master might retire or die. Apprentices occasionally were released from a master because of ill-treatment. In some cases the child was apprenticed to a member of one company to the intent that he be turned over to .... This appears to have been designed to obtain membership of a given company while being apprenticed to a master belonging to another company. For example, it might be desired that the apprentice learn bricklaying and become a member of the Tylers' and Bricklayer's Company. He could become apprenticed to a master who was a member of that company but not a bricklayer then be turned over to a master bricklayer who was a member of another company. An apprentice might also be turned over to a master who was not a bricklayer but was a member of the Tylers' and Bricklayers' Company because the apprentice wished to become free of that company.
What does free mean in the abstracts?
Where the expression free appears in an abstract this indicates that in the original registers it was noted that the apprentice had become free on completing the apprenticeship. Note that the absence of this expression in an abstract does not mean that the apprentice did not become free.
When could a master take apprentices?
Masters had to be free, so had to be 21. In practice they were only allowed to take apprentices after a period of freedom, and would tend to be 25 or older, though there appears to have been no explicit rule about this. Master were usually restricted in the number of apprentices they could take. This could also result in some turn overs.
Were apprentices only boys?
No, there was a significant number of girl apprentices, though much fewer than boys. Not surprisingly, the proportion of girls depended on the company. For example, there was a much higher proportion than normal of girls being apprenticed pinmakers.
Were masters always men?
As the previous paragraph states, girls could be apprenticed, and so become masters. There are, however, relatively few records of women masters.
Did an apprentice live with the master?
The apprentice would normally live above the shop or workshop, but not always; occasionally they still lived with their parents. If the master lived on the premises they therefore lived with him (or her). The apprentice's indenture would often record the obligations of the master, which was to educate the apprentice in the trade or craft and to provide board and lodgings, meals and clothing. (Occasionally someone else, eg the parents, might be tasked with clothing the apprentice.)
About London Livery Companies
The source records
A large proportion of the records of the London Livery Companies are now deposited at the Guildhall Library, where they may be freely and conveniently consulted. From the genealogical viewpoint, the two most important series of records tends to be those where people were apprenticed to a master, and those where individuals were admitted as freemen of the company in question.
There are two alternate general sources for limited periods for London apprenticeships. Firstly, the original papers supporting a granting freedom from apprenticeship survive in the Corporation of London Record Office from 1681. Though often very difficult to use - they were strung together through a hole in the middle - they are invaluable for companies whose records do not survive, or for which only un-detailed records are extant.
From 1710 until 1814, there was a duty on apprenticeship, and the records of this are preserved in The National Archives: until about 1750, the father's name, parish and occupation are given in these records, and there are a series of indexes for the period 1710 to 1774 at the Society of Genealogists. There were, however, a large number of exemptions under this act, and naturally as many people as possible sought this exemption and so many apprenticeships that might be expected to be found in this index are not there. It is again, however, an invaluable, if partial, substitute for lost records and as a general index and lucky dip.
Additional detail in the source records, but not abstracted, include the street in which the master lived, the term of apprenticeship (usually seven years, but occasionally shorter or longer) and the premium paid.
Livery Company details - Notes on the sources
Further information
The following books are available from the Society of Genealogists bookshop.
City Livery Companies and related organisations, 3rd edition, 1989
Discovering London's guilds and liveries, John Kennedy, 5th edition, 1995
My ancestors were Freemen of the City of London, Vivian Aldous, 1999
Acknowledgements
All the abstraction and indexing of the London Apprentices records has been undertaken by Cliff Webb, with the exception of the Apothecaries' Society, which was the responsibility of Patrick Wallis. The support of the Wellcome Trust in gathering the Apothecaries' Society information is gratefully acknowledged.
The permission of the Guildhall Library, the Corporation of London and the individual livery companies for this index and abstracts to be published is gratefully acknowledged.
We are also most grateful to Mr Ralph Vickers, clerk of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers for affording Cliff Webb facilities to examine the Court Minute Book for 1794 to 1847.