How can I find apprenticeship records?

[alisontoon]

Hi,

Please does anyone know where I might start looking for apprenticeship records? My great-great-great grandfather, John Bonnett, was a blacksmith (and so were John's son Emmanuel, who was a "striker"--the guy who used the big hammer in the forge--and later, John's step-son Thomas).

John was born in about 1800 in Seagrave, Leicestershire, and may have been illegitimate and using the surname of North as a child (I still have to confirm this--he was "Bonnett" at the time of his first marriage).  He married in Elizabeth Lindsey in Barrow upon Soar in 1824, and after that I have lots of information about his life and offspring.

I was thinking that if I could find information about how John learned his blacksmithing trade, it would help fill in the details about his early life.

Any suggestions would be most welcome!

Best regards,

Alison

[sillgen]

The local Record Office should be able to point you in the right direction for any apprenticeship records that survive.   Otherwise try googling "Blacksmith's Guild" and see what comes up.     I have a sneaking feeling that many Blacksmiths may not have had proper formal apprenticeships - but I have no proof of that and would be pleased to be proved wrong - I have one in my family that I have been chasing for years!
Andrea

[camshafts]

assume you have found the answer to your question about appretice records if not you can get the full list of apprentices at Kew
Contact me for further info if you are still looking

D Reynolds

[alisontoon]

Hi,

I am still looking for apprentiship records for John Bonnett--I recently discovered that for a time he went by the name "John Bonnett North"--North may be his mother's name.

Please could you tell me more about the apprentice information at Kew,

best regards,

Alison

[British Root s]

My apprentices records end in 1774 but I have searched for BONNETT entries anyway in case there were any blacksmiths (possibly from an earlier generation).

There were three BONNETT entries but none of them blacksmiths -  a wheelwright in Huntingdonshire 1769, a barber in Dorchester 1770 and a mercer and grocer in Gloucestershire 1772.

Kind Regards