Apprenticeship to Freedom

[PhotoFamily]

I'm researching an apprentice who began in Feb 1714/15 but didn't finish until 1725 - What's up with that???

Also looking for another apprentice - began in 1717 - searched all the way to 1730 - not in the record. Sure, he could have died, dropped out, whatever. Maybe I should be glad - since the two had the same name, I guess I only need to accept the one for my ancestor?

BTW - different masters, so can't be the same person! And the first one that took 10 years finished with the same master that he started with

[Olde Crone Holden]

Sounds like pauper apprenticeships to me - they were often 10 or 14 years instead of the usual 7.

This is probably irrelevant actually, but I have a friend who could not get his freedom from his apprenticeship becaue he needed his birth certificate to get his indentures back. His parents were oddly reluctant and eventually after a lot of fruitless searching the GRO he discovered that he was in fact adopted.

Another reason is that I think it probably cost some money to get your freedom and if the "apprentice" was happy still working for his master, he might not bother getting his papers until he wished to move to another employer. Not all masters were cruel!

OC

[merleyone]

Most apprentices 'for the Freedom', or 'to Freedom', would be entitled to apply for admission as a Freeman of the town etc upon satisfactory completion of their apprenticeship, provided they had been apprenticed to a Freeman, which they invariably were. If no record can be found to show completion of his apprenticeship by the second lad, it would be worth searching for him in the Freemen Rolls for later years. if that has not been done already, in case he was 'Made Free' notwithstanding the apparent lack of any record of completion of his apprenticeship.

merleyone

[Heather Positive Thinker]

What were the apprenticeships for? Some of my lighterman/waterman have 10 years or more - normally due to them being pressed into naval service for a period and then recommencing when they returned.

Another one was "expelled" for marrying whilst apprenticed (shot gun job) but did go back and complete later.

[PhotoFamily]

John's son's apprenticeship indicates that John was a "Citizen & Turner of London."

John's apprenticeship record states "bound to Francis.... to serve from the date for 7 years"

Every freedom on the sheet was followed in the next column with "15 == 4" where the two equal signs represent a longer pair of parallel lines. Was that the fee paid on gaining the Freedom? It would make sense - the Freedom record ends with " & gave". Also, since he was ineligible to marry during his apprenticeship, did that ban continue while serving the extra years & until he gained the Freedom, or would that have ended when he finished his 7 years?

[Olde Crone Holden]

No apprentice could marry without his Master's permission (which was rarely granted I understand) so that ban would continue until the apprentice got his freedom.

OC

[PhotoFamily]

Maybe he was motivated to seek the Freedom when he decided it was time to get married? Maybe I'll start search for his first marriage around that time.