H&W Apprentices

The listings are transcribed from the original records of H&W. Please forgive any incorrect spellings of names - the original hand written records were often difficult to interpret either because the hand writing was poor, or the ink was faded, or the name written was the scribes “best guess” at how the name of the apprentice was spelt.

Because the data is transcribed exactly as in the ledgers the names are not in alphabetical order and you will, regrettably, need to search for the name of your ancestor on a page by page basis.

The information is presented exactly as in the H&W ledgers - by the Apprenticeship Trade, then by the name of the apprentice, the day, Month and Year in which he started and then the month and year in which he finished his apprenticeship.

Sometimes apprentices completed their 4 or 5 year apprenticeship early if they demonstrated particular skills or aptitude. Some ended their apprenticeship early because they moved to a different trade within the company and, where detailed, this transfer has been denoted. Some left shipbuilding to take up another trade or occupation, or, as happened during World War 1, left to join the Army or other military services. (Where the original ledgers identify apprentices leaving to “join up” during WW1 this has been shown on the listings).

Apprentices worked hard and long hours - they were usually about 15 years old when they started their apprenticeship and worked Monday through Saturday, commonly starting at 6am and ending their day at 8pm, except on Saturday when they ‘knocked off early’ at 4pm. Wages started at 5 shillings a week (25 pence in today’s £GBP, about 40cents US) and reached 11or 12 shillings a week at the end of their apprenticeship. Although the work was hard, it was considered that an apprentice who completed his 5 years was assured of a job ‘for life’ and could easily obtain work in shipyards World Wide - many apprentices subsequently emigrated to the USA, Canada and Australia and secured jobs in Shipbuilding or other engineering trades.