Who Do You Think You Are? Encyclopedia of Genealogy (56 page)

‘
Many London livery companies survive to this day
.'

The surviving archives of guilds and livery companies are very useful for the family historian. Firstly, they provide useful details documenting the career progression of your ancestor. Additionally, they may assist in tracing your ancestors back for several generations, as many members would have become so through patronage and your family may have been working in a particular trade for generations. The surviving records may be found in local archives or, for the City of London, in the Guildhall Library. Certain livery companies may also retain their archives, in which case you will need to contact the clerk of the company directly. Many books have also been published recording the general history of individual livery companies or guilds. It is advisable to see if such a book has been published for the company you're interested in, as it may be easier to consult this source first before turning to the original records.

The Guildhall Library has a large selection of records for the many livery companies operating in London, from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries. This includes details for 85 livery companies and related organizations. The records fall into the following categories:

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Freedom Admission Registers:
These list when an individual was given the freedom of the livery company.

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Alphabetical lists of freemen:
These were recorded only for lists over long date ranges and not for single years.

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Apprentice binding books:
These books would record when an apprentice was bound to a particular company. The registers end in the nineteenth century as the system of binding apprentices was no longer common practice after that date. Alternative sources such as court minutes and warden accounts may have details for those still being bound after that date.

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Alphabetical list of apprentices:
Similar to the lists for freemen, these were only recorded for lists covering many years.

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Quarterage books
:
These annual lists record quarterly membership dues; they are not indexed.

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Court minutes:
These documents record the meetings of the courts of the livery companies. Some books may have indexes to individuals mentioned in the minutes and most should include details of when freemen were admitted or apprentices were bound.

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Accounts:
These record the financial affairs of the company.

The records described above are for individual livery companies and it is only feasible to use these sources if you know which company your ancestor was involved with. There is no comprehensive name index for members and apprentices of all companies. If you don't know what livery company your ancestor was part of, then the following may help in identifying the company.

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As most masters and apprentices would have become freemen of the City, check the records of this. They cover the years 1681 to 1923 and are held at the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), although the name index is in the Guildhall Library. The LMA also has records for individuals purchasing freedom of the city for various dates from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries.

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Boyd's
Inhabitants of London
(available to search online at www.britishorigins.com) also includes residents of the city and details on liverymen, mainly for the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

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If your ancestor worked during the eighteenth century then the indexes to the apprenticeship records held at The National Archives may also give information on which livery company was involved.

Natasha Kaplinsky knew a great deal about her maternal roots because a relative had already undertaken extensive investigations, drawing up a comprehensive family tree. After verifying the data it contained from certificates, census returns and parish registers – plus the occasional will at The National Archives – Natasha found an intriguing ancestor lurking in the eighteenth century, Benjamin Charlewood, who, according to family legend, was reputed to have been appointed as apothecary, or ‘medical practitioner', in the household of George III, the king who was famed for losing the American colonies and suffering from bouts of madness, thought now to be porphyria.

Included amongst family heirlooms was a silver meat dish, allegedly presented to Charlewood in recognition of his services and bearing a coat of arms to prove its authenticity. Natasha took the dish to Christie's for an evaluation, but to her disappointment it was made
after
the death of George III, casting doubt on the family story. Undeterred, Natasha decided to investigate the life and times of Charlewood in official documents, and started with the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, a London livery company that represented the professional interests of all qualified apothecaries who successfully applied to become a member. The Guildhall Library, London, held all relevant records for membership, and to Natasha's surprise not only was Charlewood listed but he had actually been appointed Master of the Society in 1760 – the year George III ascended the throne. Furthermore, the records held there confirmed that he had indeed held the post of apothecary in the royal household.

Given his royal position, Natasha was able to follow up his appointment in official records, and found an entry for him in ‘Office Holders in Great Britain', drawn from records in the Lord Chamberlain's office deposited at The National Archives. His original appointment took place in 1738, a position he held until his death in 1766 – therefore serving not only George III but also his predecessor, George II, as well! This enabled Natasha to order his will, also held at The National Archives, which revealed further details about his life, status, personal property and wealth.

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Probate documents may also detail which company your ancestor was involved in.

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Many freemen of the companies would also be given voting rights in the City of London and should be recorded in the City of London poll books and electoral registers, surviving from the late seventeenth century to 1872.

As mentioned, most surviving guild records should still be with local archives and record offices. Many general histories or actual records themselves may also have been published of the guild of interest, which will also be of help. The surviving records will be of similar nature to the ones detailed above relating to the London livery companies.

Freemasonry developed from craft guilds. The term freemason originated from masons who used to work with freestone, a particular craft of the fourteenth century. Lodges were built to support the trade. Members involved in this craft were said to have secret signs to acknowledge fellow workers. However, during the seventeenth century the skills of the freemasons saw a decline as fewer cathedrals were being built. During this period the freemasons became general social clubs more involved in charitable work and not specific guilds dedicated to the craft of masonry. Lodges were now used for the purpose of social gatherings with regular meetings being held. Membership was increasingly given on an honorary basis to keep up the numbers. After 1691 membership was opened to a wider social spectrum, further increasing the membership.

‘
Freemasonry developed out of craft guilds
.'

The growth of the freemason movement culminated in the opening of the Premier Grand Lodge of 1717. The movement steadily grew during the eighteenth century and became a national organization in 1802. In 1813 the two separate Grand Lodges, the Premier Grand Lodge and the Atholl Grand Lodge, were amalgamated to form the United Grand Lodge of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of England (this body included Wales too). This Lodge is still the main governing body of the movement today. The movement was also active in Scotland with the establishment of the Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland. The Grand Lodge of Ireland was constituted in 1726.

Records for freemasons can be found in various places including the Grand Lodges themselves.

Scotland had a similar system of guilds and apprentices as south of the border. Guilds were first established in the Middle Ages in Scotland in various burghs throughout the country. These institutes would also have monopolies for their trade, provide financial support for their members and their families and have local political power and influence.

Surviving records of these guilds will either be at the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) or in the burgh records deposited in local archives. The NAS has listed the extent of its holdings (detailing the individual crafts they have records for, in which area and the dates covered) on its website, at www.nas.gov.uk/guides/crafts.asp. Local archives should hold burgess rolls or court books, which will contain relevant details. The latter may also have details of the regulations of crafts. Otherwise the Scottish Record Society has published numerous lists of men being admitted into burgesses (a right enjoyed by apprentices after completing their training) of various towns and cities of Scotland which may include your ancestor.

Surviving apprenticeship records may also be found in a variety of places. As indentures were private documents many have not survived to the present day, or will be in private hands. The NAS has some collections including records of the apprentices of Edinburgh from 1613 to 1783 (in NAS reference RH9/17/272–326). Another main collection can be found within the archives of George Heriot's Trust, a charitable organization providing apprenticeships for pauper children (in NAS reference GD421/10). A list of Edinburgh apprentices from 1583 to 1755 has also been published by the Scottish Record Society.

Scottish apprentices were also subject to the taxation imposed on English apprentices during the eighteenth century and hence the records held in The National Archives at Kew (discussed earlier) will be of relevance.

The system of guilds and apprentices was similar in Ireland to other parts. Those who were apprentices and subsequently members of guilds would also be entitled to become freemen of the city. The guild system was very important in Dublin, dominating the economic and social history of the city for many centuries. As such many tradesmen and guild members would be included in the list of free citizens for Irish cities. Dublin City Archives has a list of the free citizens of Dublin from 1225 to 1918. Similar records may be found in other local archives.

The guilds and livery companies hold particular relevance for the history of Ireland as they organized the ‘plantation of Ulster' during the seventeenth century. Ulster remained the only non-colonized part of the island during the seventeenth century and James I chose to redress this by encouraging Protestant Scottish and English migrants to settle there. The livery companies of London established a settlement near to the hill of Doire (Derry) on the River Foyle. The area they had settled was granted county status and renamed ‘Londonderry' in honour of the participation of the London liveries in establishing this settlement. The apprentices were also intertwined with the history of Derry when the city was laid to siege by the deposed Catholic King James II and his forces in 1688–89. The Protestant settlers were besieged by these forces inside the city walls and the apprentice boys were instrumental in lifting the siege. The part played by the apprentice boys was subsequently honoured by annual parades, although these marches would become a symbol of sectarian strife during the late twentieth century.

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Masonic publications:
The Grand Lodges of England, Scotland and Ireland all published lists of freemasons. Such records will be found either at local libraries or at the respective Grand Lodges. Their contact details are as follows:

England (and Wales):
The United Grand Lodge of England

Freemasons' Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ

www.ugle.org.uk

   
The library at the Grand Lodge should also have yearbooks for its members, published since 1908. If your ancestor was a senior member then consult
A Masonic Yearbook Historical Supplement (1969)
as it gives details of all holders of Grand Rank from 1717 to 1968.

Scotland:
Grand Lodge of Scotland

Freemasons' Hall, 96 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 3DH

www.grandlodgescotland.com

Ireland:
Grand Lodge of Ireland

Freemasons' Hall, 17 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2

Republic of Ireland

www.irish-freemasons.org

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Quarter session records:
Political uncertainty during the end of the eighteenth century (after the French Revolution) meant that the British government became increasingly suspicious of secretive organizations such as the freemasons. In 1799 the government passed the Seditious Societies Act making any society that had oaths not sanctioned by law illegal. Freemasonry was not made illegal but each lodge had to provide certificates listing names and addresses of its members to the Clerk of the Peace on an annual basis. Lodges could also be closed by quarter sessions if a complaint was upheld against them. Hence quarter session records have records for local freemason movements from that period onwards.

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Published histories:
There have been many published histories of local lodges that may be of relevance. They may also include biographies of senior members.

Suggestions for further reading: