Railway apprenticeship

[Ohri]

Has anyone heard of railway apprenticeships in the 1930's 40's  from schools /orphanages  for boys who stayed there .

I believe girls were trained in domestic skills .

I am interested to find out any information I can about these schools/orphanages especially in the West Midlands area , as I believe a great great uncle was placed in one of these places .

thanks

[Girl Guide]

Welcome to Rootschat Ohri 

Not sure about apprenticeships specifically, but Ancestry have UK Railway Employment Records 1833 - 1956.  You may find your gg uncle listed there.

Would you like to give us your gg uncle's name and when and where he was born?

[KGarrad]

www.childrenshomes.org.uk may provide some info?

Search by location/County.

[Ohri]

Hi , my gg uncle's name was William Harry Parsonage . He was born in 1920 in Dudley , West Midlands.
 any help would be greatly appreciated .
Thanks

[Girl Guide]

Ancestry seems to have quite a few hits for William Parsonage on their records of All UK, Railway Employment Records, 1833-1956.

I don't have a sub to Ancestry so have no way of knowing if any of these relate to your William. 

Perhaps another Rootschatter will have a look for you if you don't have a sub to Ancestry.  There may not be any relevant records for William.

[Ohri]

Hi and thanks for replies. I am subscribed to ancestry.co.uk and will have a look at the Railway Employment Records.

I'm also working my way through the orphanages/ childrens homes / schools in the area. Although he wasnt an orphan , his parents were poverty stricken and had to send him away to be looked after . I believe this was quite common in those times .
I'm not sure whether this was done through the church or other charitable organisations . But I think that my gg uncle worked on the railways when he was old enough to do so , while still living in the orphanage /school/childrens home .
Thanks for taking the time to help . Stay safe

[Redroger]

There are two types of apprenticeship on the railway, conventional where a boy (working class) is apprenticed to a trade, fitter, boilerrsmith or electrician etc.  and premium where the parents of the person pay the railway company to employ and train him. Needless to say these people are not working class. I suggest that their records are more likely to have survived.

[youngtug]

GWR records on Ancestry have apprentice records for fitter, turner, coppersmith, boilermaker etc,.

[Redroger]

I should also say that most if not all of the mainline railways had their own orphanages, records of which may survive.eg Google Railway Servants Orphanage.