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- London, Watermen, Birth Register Of Contracted Men, 1865-1921
Records in this collection
- Army Schoolmasters - Punishment Ledgers
- Army Schoolmasters - Punishment Ledgers
- Army Schoolmasters 1847-1876
- Army Schoolmasters 1847-1876
- Army Schoolmasters 1847-1876
- Berkshire, Eton College Register, 1441-1698
- Britain, Business Indexes 1892-1987
- Britain, Business Indexes 1892-1987
- Britain, Children's Employment Commission Part 2, 1842
- Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1835-1857
- Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1918-1941
- Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1918-1941
- Britain, school and university register books 1264-1930
- Britain, Trade Union Membership Registers
- Britain, Trade Union Membership Registers, Browse
- British Empire Awards & Medals 1917-2023
- British India Office Assistant Surgeons
- City of London, Haberdashers, Apprentices and Freemen 1526-1933
- City of London, Ironmongers, Apprentices and Freemen 1511-1923
- City of York apprentices and freemen 1272-1930
- Civil Service Commission appointments, promotions and transfers 1871-1942
- Clergy List 1896
- Dental Surgeons Directory 1925
- Devon, Plymouth & West Devon Apprentices 1570-1910
- East India Company & Civil Service pensions
- Electrical Engineering Apprentices & Trainees, 1902-1934
- England, Cheshire school records, 1782-1950
- Gloucester Apprentices 1595-1700
- Lancashire, Barrow-In-Furness Shipbuilding & Engineering Employees
- Lloyd's Register Of Merchant Ships Index 1843
- London Apprentices from Dorset 1605-1799
- London Apprentices from Somerset 1575-1800
- London, Dulwich College Register 1619-1926
- London, Watermen In Royal Navy, 1803-1809
- London, Watermen, Admiralty Muster Of The Port Of London, 1628
- London, Watermen, Birth Register Of Contracted Men, 1865-1921
- London, Watermen, List Of Free Watermen, 1827
- London, Watermen's Petition For The King Charles I, 1648
- Manchester Apprentices 1700-1849
- Manchester Industrial School Registers1866-1912
- Manchester Police Index 1858-1941
- Match workers strike, Bow 1888
- Merchant Navy Seamen [Merchant Marines]
- National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870-1914
- Royal Hibernian Military School admissions 1847-1932
- Royal Hibernian Military School Staff List 1864
- Royal Household Staff 1526-1924
- Royal Military Asylum apprentice ledgers 1803-1840 / Royal Military Asylum (Chelsea) admissions 1803-1901
- Scotland, Edinburgh Apprentices 1583-1800
- Surrey, Southwark Congregational Registers
- Surrey, Southwark, Newington Apprentice Register 1891
- Sussex, Lancing College Register 1901-1954
- Teachers Registration Council Registers
- Trinity House Calendars, 1787-1854
- Warwickshire, Coventry, company directories and publications 1908-1966
- White Star Line Officers' books
Find your ancestors in London, Watermen, Birth Register Of Contracted Men, 1865-1921
Did your ancestor serve as an apprentice with The Company of Watermen? Search through this database of watermen and discover your ancestor’s birth or baptism date, place of birth and the date he submitted his proof of age to the court to begin his waterman apprenticeship.
The amount of information in each can vary, but most will include the following:
- Name
- Birth date
- Baptism date
- Registration year
- Court entry date
- Birth place and county
- Document description
- Former archiver reference – these records were formerly held at the Guildhall Archives
- Current archive reference
- Archive
Discover more about these records
The Company of Watermen was created in 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary. The company worked from Gravesend in Berkshire and Windsor in Kent. An apprenticeship system was established from the beginning. At the start the apprenticeship would take one year, but in 1603 this was extended to seven years. Generally apprentices would be between the age of 14 and 20. If an individual’s father was a waterman, then apprenticeship could start before the age of 18 otherwise, apprenticeship would start after 18.
As an apprentice, an individual would be bound to a master and then taught the skill of piloting a boat on the River Thames. A master would be responsible for the apprentice’s training, housing, clothing and food. In order to start an apprenticeship, a proof of age such as a birth certificate or baptism certificate needed to be produced. This database recorded the date that the proof was submitted to the court and the individual’s birth date. These were all presented to the court between 1865 and 1921. Birth place was also recorded. Many were born in the London area, but some can be found from further afield in Liverpool, Dublin, Guernsey and even Norway and India. The records were previously held at the Guildhall Archives but it now housed at the London Metropolitan Archives.