England Occupations, Associations, Guilds, Freemen (National Institute)

Associations
There have been associations of people with a common occupation since mediaeval times. The family historian is wise to ask:


 * What kinds were there for different occupations?
 * What did they do?
 * What records benefitting genealogy did they make, do these still exist and are they accessible?

The main types of organization were:


 * Guilds and livery companies from early times in all occupations. These had largely disappeared by the early 17th century but a few persist even today.
 * Trade Unions for trades and manual occupations from the 1880s, although some have earlier roots.
 * Professional Associations from the 19th century for services and professions.

At various times and in different places they:


 * Regulated standards of trade and workmanship as well as sale and distribution of goods
 * Created locally-based occupational monopolies to reduce competition and keep profits up.
 * Negotiated pay and benefits.
 * Provided education through apprenticeships, articling and special courses.
 * Provided social activities.
 * Provided welfare services.

Freemen, Burgesses and Citizens
A freeman of a company was a person who had served the full term of an apprenticeship to a master craftsman or tradesman belonging to that company and had been admitted to the company. A freeman of a corporate town, a burgess of a borough or a citizen of a city was eligible to work at his trade in that place and vote in corporate elections.

The three terms are commonly used interchangeably to denote anyone who had gained the freedom of a city, town or borough by:


 * Servitude—apprenticeship to a person who was already a freeman.
 * Patrimony—by inheritance from the father if born legitimately when he was a freeman.
 * Redemption—by payment of a fee.
 * Marriage to a widow or daughter born of a freeman was also possible in some places.
 * Occasionally by honorary conferment.

The father’s name is usually given in records of the first two cases, and details of relationship in the fourth.

It is most interesting and quite possible to track the tradesmen through his apprenticeship, freedom of the company and town, annual payment of dues, then employing journeymen and as master to a succession of apprentices, and perhaps to holding office in his company or even city. Women, unskilled men, and those employed by tradesmen and craftsmen were unlikely to have been freemen. A good general source is Camp (Apprentices and Their Records. Family Tree Magazine. Vol 14 #12, page 19-20, 1998).

How to Discover the Company

 * Before the early 18th century, especially, the person’s occupation is a strong clue.&lt;br&lt;


 * The phrase citizen and (for example)carpenter of London in any reference to him gives his company. If he was just carpenter of London this is his occupation and does not indicate a company.


 * The Apprentices of Great Britain (Inland Revenue index) gives names and companies of masters and the latter are indexed from 1710-1774.


 * Webb’s London Apprentices indexes both apprentices and masters from early times to at least 1800. Each book is devoted to masters of one company who took apprentices in their individual occupations.


 * A Poll Book which shows both the trade practiced and the company to which the voter belonged.


 * The Corporation of the City of London has complete records from 1786, and almost complete from 1681, of all 300,000 or so company members who became freemen of the City of London, and these are indexed.


 * For those who took out freedom of the City of London after 1940 the Clerk of the Chamberlain’s Court will search the register of freemen for a five-year period and for a fee will send a copy of the details.


 * Card index of freedom entries in the Repertories (Court of Aldermen proceedings) 1494-1649 at Corporation of City of London.


 * Boyd’s Inhabitants of London (238 volumes) and its Index (27 vols) gives many company members from 15th-19th centuries, being strongest for 16th-17th centuries. This work containing nearly 60,000 family group sheets was formerly referred to as Citizens of London but it contains much more than just freemen. On 135 films starting at .


 * Guildhall Library’s file of London Inhabitants is fairly complete for London freemen from 1700.


 * City, borough or county archives or record offices usually have indexes and reference books regarding freemen in their area.

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Information in this Wiki page is excerpted from the online courses English: Occupation Records-Professions and Trades and English: Occupations-Military &amp; Services offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. To learn more about this course or other courses available from the Institute, see our website. We can be contacted at [mailto:wiki@genealogicalstudies.com wiki@genealogicalstudies.com]

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