Gardener apprenticeship records 1850s/1860s?

[gordhaddow]

My paternal great-grandfather apprenticed as a gardener, probably in the Lothians or possibly back in Lanarkshire, he was born 1844 in Crossford (Lesmahagow), but the family later relocated to Kirkliston (between 1846-1849).  Is there any accessible source for such records in the 1850s/1860s?

[Ruskie]

Welcome to rootschat Gordhaddow.

I don't recall gardener's apprenticeships being discussed on these boards before, but I'm sure someone will have some information to help you.

Can you tell us how you know he was apprenticed as a gardener? Do you have some documentation which mentions an apprenticeship?

This question might get a better response on the Scotland board. I will ask a moderator to move it for you.

[ScouseBoy]

Maybe  a specialised "gardener"  such as a Green Keeper  at a Golf Course, Cricket Club,  Bowling Greens.          What was his occupation  on his marriage certificate  or on a census, please?

[stanmapstone]

Is there any accessible source for such records in the 1850s/1860s?

There are numerous adverts for apprentice gardeners in the papers 1850-1899, all in Scotland, of youths seeking  a position as an apprentice gardener, and employers wanting apprentice gardeners. It seems to be a particular Scottish position. There will be no records as it does not seem to be an official "apprenticeship" as such.
For example from the    Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser - Tuesday 24 May 1870

Stan

[LizzieL]

At that time period an apprentice gardener would be a young man who wanted to make his career in gardening and would probably be on a big estate learning his trade under a head gardener. On a very big estate the head gardener might have a large number of garden staff under him - journeymen gardeners (at different stages of training), one or more apprentices, garden labourers and even women doing garden tasks. Apprentices and young single gardeners often lived in - in a bothy.

Slightly later than the period in post and in England

https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Diary_of_a_Victorian_Gardener.html?id=43hFAAAAYAAJ&redir_esc=y

[Skoosh]

You might try the Gardeners Trade Guilds records in Glasgow & Edinburgh & see if he was admitted as a guild brother. I have the Glasgow book if you want a look-up?

Skoosh.

[gordhaddow]

You might try the Gardeners Trade Guilds records in Glasgow & Edinburgh & see if he was admitted as a guild brother. I have the Glasgow book if you want a look-up?

Skoosh.

It would be greatly appreciated, thank you.  His name was Thomas Haddow, b.14Mar1844 in Crossford (Lesmahagow), Lanarkshire, father James, mother Janet (Walker).  1851 census has them in Clifton Cottage House, Kirkliston, Midlothian; 1865 Valuation Rolls shows Janet as tenant occupier in House Greenburn, Whitburn, West Lothian.
The story has it that Thomas relocated to South Carolina, USA with his employer's family, later moving to Buffalo, New York, USA with one of that family.  By 1877 he was in York (Toronto), Ontario, Canada, where he married, apparently as a widower.

[Skoosh]

No Glasgow Trade Guild Haddow's Gord I'm afraid. I don't think the Linlithgow Trades included gardeners, Edinburgh will have & East Lothian also as it was a notable horticultural centre.
This doesn't rule out the fact that he might have been working in Glasgow, even as a gardener as by the mid 19th cent' membership of the Guilds were largely honorary/charitable. A Guild brother in the Gardeners might be a merchant in Argentina or a shipowner rather than a son of the soil. The hope was that he was off one of the old Guild families with a "lang pedigree"  in the trade, ready made.   

Skoosh.

[gordhaddow]

Yes, I realised it was a long-shot, but that's what I'm dealing with any more.  Thanks for the effort, we'll have to just sit back and twiddle our thumbs until some new data source comes online.