Curriers' Company apprenticeships

Curriers dress leather for further treatment. Ordinances date from the early 15th century, but the governing charter dates from 1605. The Company maintained its control of the trade until the mid-nineteenth century.

The earliest records of the Company are deposited at the Guildhall Library. Guildhall Library Ms 6112/1 is the first surviving volume of the court minutes starting in 1628. It includes from the beginning details of apprenticeships. This volume predates the apprenticeship register beginning 5 Nov 1658. While courts are recorded 1646-49 (with freedom admissions), there are no apprenticeships noted from October 1646 to December 1649, and there are also none between March 1649/50 and June 1651. Presumably apprentices were bound during this period, but simply not recorded; indeed, there are turn overs of apprentices otherwise unrecorded in the years immediately following which probably reflect some of these.

The apprenticeship register which begins in 1658 (GL Ms 6113A) continues to 1853. However, entries after 1694 are only of turn overs. At the other end of the register are freedom admissions 1658 to 1856. Apprenticeships from July 1694 continue in GL Ms 6115/1 which ends in May 1781. GL Ms 6115/2 contains apprenticeships from July 1781 to 1827. As usual in these abstracts, apprenticeships have only been noted to the end of 1800.

The records of 2,737 Curriers' apprenticeships have been abstracted.