Goldsmith's Company, London

[PhotoFamily]

In 1813, Robert William Young put himself to Apprentice to William Ashman "Gold and Silver Beater, a Citizen and Goldsmith of London, to learn his Art of a Gold and Silver Beater..."

So, I interpret this to mean that Ashman had the Freedom of the Goldsmith Company, and the same would be true when Young completed his apprenticeship - right? What is catching me is that Ashman is a Gold Beater who will train Young to do the same - but a Gold Beater is a specialty within the Goldsmith Company??

I did find that Gold Beaters were craftsmen who made gold leaf. One occupation dictionary for the 1891 census profoundly said that it was one who beats gold...

BTW - Young took on at least one other Apprentice to train as a Gold Beater.

[PhotoFamily]

And I forgot to ask -
Can someone with newspaper access look to see if Robert William Young, Gold Beater (or Goldsmith) have trouble with the law or with bankers sometime between 1821 and 1824? He left very abruptly to go to America.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Yes, a gold beater is someone who beats gold, haha, but gold beating is an essential part of becoming a maker of gold jewellery - even today an apprentice goldsmith has to be able to.beat a gram of pure gold into a thread so many inches long( I forget the exact dimensions). A goldsmith would have to.be able to.do this and so would a jeweller, but a jeweller would posxibly employ a gold beater to do it for him. Phew, long winded, sorry!

Apprentices in any trade do not automatically become masters as I am sure you know. Journeymen work for themselves, employed by the day, masters employ others and teach them. It's a matter of whether you can afford to set up premises etc.

OC

[cbcarolyn]

I have had a look at the papers and haven't turned up anything. Young is not so easy to search for as it is a widely used word.

[GallowayLass]

Me neither. Only have access via FMP though.

[PhotoFamily]

Ooooo, thank you all. OC, that's a great explanation.

He took on at least one apprentice, but left the poor young man (boy?) in the lurch - I found the settlement examination for the apprentice at age 22. Sounds like the fee was paid, but his master left after a year and a half, and he didn't get the skill.

[cbcarolyn]

Ooooo, thank you all. OC, that's a great explanation.

He took on at least one apprentice, but left the poor young man (boy?) in the lurch - I found the settlement examination for the apprentice at age 22. Sounds like the fee was paid, but his master left after a year and a half, and he didn't get the skill.

you can mess about searching on british newspaper archive for free, and then if you find anything really promising note down what dates etc and I can look on FMP.

If you create an account you can bookmark them.