Cooper Apprenticeship 1700's

[idredge]

Does anyone know how long an Apprenticeship for a Cooper would have been, the first record I have of my 4 x g grandfather as a Cooper is in 1774, he was 29 I have tried looking for his apprenticeship in 2 counties but so far no luck. Some parishes didn't keep all their records. The parish is Colerne in Wiltshire, no luck in Bath or in Wiltshire.

I believe that if they went outside of the family to train then the parents were recorded, if they trained inside the family then of course no record. If the parish paid to have them trained then that would also mention parents or it would have been mentioned somewhire that they were paying for the apprenticeship.

Irene

[Peter Goodey]

I think you need the Apprenticeship Books

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=295

[Geoffers]

Length of apprenticeship varied, he could be mentioned in the Board of Stamps Apprenticeship Books (maintained because of a tax on apprentices). The earlier records up to 1754 (the most useful) can be purchased on CD from The Parish Chest (http://www.parishchest.com/shop/index.php?cmd=viewproduct&cat=&id=P15478&pageOffset=0)

The tax continued up to 1811 and The Society of Genealogists has a collection of these records along with a number of original indentures from around the country.

As with so many things related to family and local history, TNA's research guides are a good place to start, see this guide on Apprentices (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=295)

[idredge]

Thanks very much for these ideas of places to search I will do that asap. Sorry to be so long in answering just got back from our hols

Irene