Watermen and lighter-men Apprenticeships Bindings Look up Please?

[pipkim]

Thanks Sue for taking time to look.

Maybe George Hooker didn't serve his apprenticeship. He later became a billiard cue maker - his ancestors and family were wheelwrights and coachbuilders.

Many thanks again.

Pipkim

[suzey68]

Hi Pipkim

One thing I do know is that in the past you could only become an apprentice Waterman / Lighterman to either your Father, Uncle or Brother is assume in-laws also count i.e brother in-law. As an apprentice you were taken on at 14 and served a 7 year apprenticeship and could only be married when you completed it and became a freeman.

As George later had a different trade and his ancestors also were not in the guild I am guessing that he did not serve as an apprenticeship within the auspices of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen.

If he had started his apprenticeship and left before completion he should be found on the bindings index.

If you come up with any further information you need me to check please let me know.

Sue

[suzey68]

Hi Meles

I can see 15 different apprentice bindings for the Huntingford name and quite a few others where an Huntingford is the master.

I have found a Benjamin John Huntingford who was bound into apprenticeship to John William Hovey Junior on 12th September 1865 at Rotherhithe. He was made a freeman on 11th August 1874.
I would think that this is the correct Benjamin (although there appears to be others) as this one would have been 14 / 15 if he was born in 1850.

Does the masters name mean anything to you?

As far as I can see This Benjamin never became a master although I have a Benjamin Thomas Huntingford as a master on other bindings around the same time so this may be a relative.

The CD is called The Company of Waterman and Lightermen of the River Thames Bindings Index 1692 - 1949 and is produced by Trueflare Ltd. This is one of a series of CDs containing the records of the company.

It can be bought online from www.parishregister.com

I can highly recommend this resource for anyone researching watermen and lightermen ancestors.
The original bindings can be viewed at the Guildhall Library in London.

Sue

[meles]

Hi Sue

The Master's name means nothing to me (I've not been doing this tree for very long), but Benjamin Thomas could well be Benjamin John's father (I have census records for a Benjamin T (don't have his full name), born 1825).

Many thanks for your help. Looks like the CD might be very helpful!

meles

[pipkim]

Hi Pipkim

One thing I do know is that in the past you could only become an apprentice Waterman / Lighterman to either your Father, Uncle or Brother is assume in-laws also count i.e brother in-law. As an apprentice you were taken on at 14 and served a 7 year apprenticeship and could only be married when you completed it and became a freeman.

As George later had a different trade and his ancestors also were not in the guild I am guessing that he did not serve as an apprenticeship within the auspices of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen.

If he had started his apprenticeship and left before completion he should be found on the bindings index.

If you come up with any further information you need me to check please let me know.

Sue

Thank you for the other information. I have a feeling that when I last tried to trace his wife, his father-in-law was a musician. I suppose with all occupations, some people get in through the backdoor or he felt it sounded good at the time.

I'll keep looking for further info.

Pipkim 

[janan]

Hi Sue
Just stumbled across this thread - would you mind having a look for this gentleman please?

Frederick GROOMBRIDGE born Richmond, Surrey c 1790 listed in Richmond as a Waterman in 1841 and Late Waterman in 1851

Thank you so much for your kind offer

Jan

[suzey68]

Hi Pipkim

I have just gone through some other Company information and it appears that from 1865 people too old for an apprenticeship could be granted a two year licence. I am not sure of the implications of this but am willing to bet that somewhere amongst the papers of the guild that there are records relation to licence holders.

It may be worth looking at www.parishregister.com and Trueflare Limited for further information or ideas.

Sue

[suzey68]

Hi Jan

I can certainly find Frederick Groombridge amongst the apprentice bindings.
Frederick was bound on 25th April 1805 to a George Cripps in Richmond. The completed his apprenticeship and was made a freeman on the 18th March 1813.

I have looked at later years but cannot find any instances where Frederick became a master in an apprentice binding.

I have however found one other Groombridge (Thomas Jameson Groombridge) in Deptford in 1787 which may be of interest to your research.

Sue

[pipkim]

Hi Sue,

Thanks again for the tip, I shall take a look at both places.

Pipkim