Apprenticeship Indenture

[juju9999uk]

Hi All,
What exactly is an apprenticeship indenture? 
Regards
Juju

[g a r]

I could be wrong, but I believe it is a legal contract that binds the apprentice to his master for a fixed period of time in order to learn a trade or business

[juju9999uk]

Thank you Gar.
Maybe that's why I couldn't find him in census with the rest of the family. Any idea if there was an age limit to when they were taken on and left apprenticeship.
Regards
Juju

[g a r]

It may depend on the work being learned.

I have a lighterman in my tree who apprenticed at 18 or 19 and I think he was considered old. Their term was something like seven years (but they WERE learning the THAMES)

I have seen in the censuses, especially the earlier ones, apprentices living with their masters

do you know what trade your guy learned?

[MarieC]

I think you're right, g a r. 

I too have lightermen, who were normally apprenticed at about 14 (yes, your guy was late!) and the term was seven years unless it was interrupted by something.  (One of mine may well have been a seaman on the First Fleet to Australia, but I can't get absolute proof - this extended his apprenticeship by a couple of years.)

I think the length of apprenticeship would have depended on the trade, and yes, apprentices did sometimes live with their masters.

MarieC

[Indaloman]

An indenture was a legally drawn up document listing the obligations of the master tradesman and the apprentice and was cut with a wavy line the apprentice holding one half and the master the other

[trish251]

There are quite a few threads on RC about this topic. This gives some examples
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,124834.0.html

If you search RC for "apprenticeship indenture" you will find quite a few more

Trish

[juju9999uk]

Thank you all.
I think I may be grasping at straws...
This is what I found online on the NOAH site record kept at Norfolk Record Office.
1808-1861
Description The 1861 deed includes a plan; abstract of title of John Abel Smith to the manor of Ditchingham, 1861; apprenticeship indenture of Walter Taylor to James Lloyd Smith of Wrentham, Suffolk, 1855.
Walter Taylor that I am looking for was born about 1842, Wymondham, Norfolk and found on the 1901 -1881 census and nothing before.
I have death cert and marriage cert but no birth cert.
Thank you all again for your help
Regards
Juju
 

[Rena]

I once saw the cost of an apprenticeship in the 1800's and I think it was about 7s.6d (7 shillings 6 pence)
I've got the original 1926 official apprenticeship indenture form which shows that the engineering company will train my father upon receipt of the agreed sum paid by his parents.  Part of this money was paid back to him as wages throughout a 7 year apprenticeship.  All apprentices were shown how to make their own tools before they did anything else.  Then they spent 6 months in different workshops learning particular aspects of the trade such as casting metal, using machinery, etc., and doing a stint draughting plans in the drawing office.

Rena