How to find apprenticeship records

Many apprenticeship records have been digitised and are available to search online. On Findmypast, you’ll find several relevant collections within the Education and Work category. 

Useful Findmypast record sets include: 

• Britain, Country Apprentices 1710–1808, which documents thousands of young people bound as apprentices under the Poor Law. These records often include the apprentice's name, age, parish of origin, as well as the name and occupation of their master. 
• London Freedom of the City Admission Papers, 1681–1930, which note when an individual completed an apprenticeship and was admitted to a London guild or company. 
• Britain, Registers of Duties Paid for Apprentices’ Indentures, 1710–1811: tax records relating to apprenticeship contracts, often naming both apprentice and master. 
• Merchant Navy Seamen records, which can reveal training and early maritime careers. 
• Teachers’ Registration Council Registers: useful for tracing formal training in education. 

These collections span a wide range of occupations, from traditional crafts and trades to maritime and professional roles.  

Apprenticeship records often contain rich detail about an individual’s early life and career path. Depending on the collection, you may find: 

• The apprentice’s name and age 
• Their place of origin or parish 
• The name and occupation of their master 
• The terms and length of the apprenticeship 
• Fees or duties paid 

These details can help you understand not only what trade your ancestor learned, but also how they moved between places and communities. For example, a rural apprentice bound to a master in a nearby town may point to early migration for work. A London-based apprenticeship could suggest connections to powerful guilds and urban industries. 

It's a good idea to start by gathering what you already know. Census records, the 1939 Register, and other employment records provide clues about an ancestor’s occupation. Once you have a likely trade, search relevant apprenticeship collections using name, place and approximate dates. Specialist record sets like Findmypast's Wiltshire, Marlborough Apprenticeship Books might have just the information you're looking for.  

Keep in mind that spelling variations were common. Try alternative versions of surnames, and if you don’t find an immediate match, broaden your search by location or occupation. 

Apprenticeship records are just the starting point. To understand how training shaped a life, combine them with other sources: 

• Census records to track career progression 
• Parish records to confirm origins 
• Historical newspapers to uncover business activities or local mentions 

You can preserve your findings by attaching records to a family tree on Findmypast or organising them within Workspaces and Collections. 

By tracing apprenticeship records, you can follow the first steps of an ancestor’s working life – and begin to understand the skills, ambitions and opportunities that shaped their future.