Dental/Surgical Instrument Maker

[finewa]

My Fraternal Grandfather is listed on the 1891 Census at age 14 as a Cutler Apprentice in EDN Scotland.
In 1898 he was married in EDN  and his occupation was a Surgical Intrument Maker on the Marriage Records in St. Andrews EDN.
The 1901 Census has him as Dental Instrument Maker.
I see that Cutlers are discribed as Knife Makers, Sword Makers and so on so I suppose that all fits in.
Is there anywhere that one could find records of Apprenticeships at that time in EDN?
He moved to Surrey England in 1935 and was an Instrument maker with BAC as I believe it was called at that time.
Thank you

[Jane Eden]

Hi

Have you tried the British Dental Association? May be they have an archive/library section.

http://www.bda-dentistry.org.uk/index.cfm

Jane

[sparrett]

Hi finewa,
My G. grandfather was also a dental instrument -maker &you are the first rootschatter I've come across who shares a search on the same lines.
I am in Australia so everything seems more complicated.  The rootschat group have been hugely helpful to me however.
I was very glad to see Jane's link to bda and I have immediately sent off an inquiry about my George James Parrett to see if they could suggest where he may have done his training in 1850's before commencing practise in 1860's
I hope they can advise.
I will watch for any results you might get.
Best of luck.
Sue

[behindthefrogs]

You should try the archives of the Cutler's Company which are held at Guildhall Library.  Many of the City Companies controlled apprenticeships across most of the country.  The Cutlers have apprentice bindings up to 1848 and other records which go on to the end of the century.

David

[sparrett]

Thank you David.
I have found the Guildhall Library site and see they do offer a research service.  I will take this further after I have heard any suggestions from BDA.
  I appreciate your interest.
Sue

[dawnwas]

Not sure if this will lead anywhere...but..
The Royal College of Surgeons of England has a site with details of over 7000 historical surgical and dental instruments in its museum.They may be of help?
www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums/history/collections.html

Dawn
PS for those in aussie you can try for info via the australian dental association

[Jane Eden]

Hi

I now work within commissioning and contracting with Primary Care dentists although I am a pharmacist by profession. Although I immediately pointed you towards the BDA I will ask my colleagues within the Dental Profession where you should go.

Jane

[243rose]

hello.

I have a father and son who were both Surgical Instrument Makers also Scarificator Maker.
I would like to know whether this type of occupation was skilled/ unskilled. whether it was home based as opposed to a factory production line type occupation.

Thanks in anticipation................  Iain.


Moderator Comment: topics merged

[nickgc]

Surgical instruments normally demand high precision so they would certainly be called skilled workers rather than unskilled laborers.  Look up scarificator on Google.  The wiki for bloodletting shows a very complex mechanism.

Unlikely that this would be a home-based occ. but not completely out of the question.  Since you know where they were at the time, perhaps you can find an old online directory that would list instrument making establishments.

Nick