Tailor - Journeyman

[KarenM]

If you were a tailor journeyman in Birmingham back in 1861, would there be some sort of record of saying that you were a journeyman?

Thanks
Karen
 

[Little Nell]

Karen,

If you explore this board a wee bit further, you will find that several people have asked about journeymen before.  Have a look at this thread:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,58749.0.html

The important thing to understand about journeymen is that it can refer to ANY profession or trade.  It merely means that the worker in question is hired by the day.  They went to their place of work rather than already lived there.  Today we could describe software engineers as journeymen computer programmers for example.

From the Dictionary of Genealogy

Journeyman A day labourer who had served his apprenticeship. The Statute of Artificers of 1563 laid down the journeyman’s hours of work as being, in summer, from, at or before 5 a.m. until between 7 and 8 p.m., with not more than 2½ hours off for breakfast, dinner and drinking; and in winter from dawn till dusk. Unlike apprentices and employees engaged on a longer-term basis, most journeymen lived away from their work. The term has no connection with travelling. In London, journeymen employed under licence by freemen had themselves to be freemen until 1750. Indexed licence books for 1750—1845 are at the Corporation’s Record Office, Guildhall, Gresham Street, London FC2P 2EJ, showing names of journeymen and masters.

Nell

[KarenM]

Hi there,

After I posted the message I did find the link about journeyman. 

I just thought maybe there was somewhere they signed up to become an apprentice so that after fulfulling the required time they would be able to say they were a journeyman.

Karen

[suttontrust]

The only possibility I can think of for apprenticeship deeds would be the local record office.