Crafting The Past

A list of apprentices and workers of the jewellers and watchmakers in York. Some of whom are not showing as having continued on Coney street, or taking their own business there to be listed elsewhere

Apprentices of Ambrose Beckwith
Peter william Watson son of elizabeth watson. indentured 2 may 1770 for 8 years
Edward Seagrave, son f Edward Seagrave Brazier, Pavement. Apprenticed 1767 for 7 years £25. Free by Patrimony 1776. Jeweller on Peter Lane
John Terry apprenticed 20th jan 1766 7 years

Apprentices of John Hampston & John Prince of York 1770-1796

Thomas Hornby Son of George Hornby, Carpenter. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 26th February 1771. Free 1778. Noted as Jeweller of Spurriergate, York, 1784. Died January 1792.

William Tiler Son of Chamberlain Tiler of York, silversmith. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 2nd February 1778.

William Topham Son of Benjamin Topham of Thirsk, tailor. Term of Indenture: Eight years as from 2nd October 1778. Married Mary Ann Day. Died September 1797.

Robert Jones Son of Josiah Jones of Hull, goldsmith. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 22nd January 1782. Married Ann Breary.

Samuel Levy Son of Henry Levy, glass cutter. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 19th May 1785. Free 1792.

Richard Surr Son of John Surr of York, china & glassman. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 13th April 1787. Free 1794.

Apprentices of Hampston Prince & Cattles of York 1796-1804

Richard Dinmore.. foreman but took on the business of clock and watchmaker from jonathon storr at the minster gates in 1805, moved to coppergate in 1818

Richard Watson Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 17th May 1796. £16 paid

Samuel Pierce Son of Thomas Pierce of Holywell, Flint, Wales, butcher. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 1st July 1796.

Thomas Stead Son of Michael Stead of York, horse dealer. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 1st October 1796. Became Assay Master at York c.1837-1839. Died 2nd May 1839 aged 59.

Edward Jackson Son of John Jackson of York, tailor. Term of Indenture: Eight years as from 11th March 1799. Free 1807. Died 5th October 1859 aged 73.

John Whip Son of William Whip, coal merchant. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 4th October 1799. Free 1820.

James Barber Son of John Barber, cabinet maker & toyman. Born 4th October 1784. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 21st March 1800. Married Margaret Clark. Became Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths Company of York 1851. Died 10th March 1857 aged 73.

William Ferrand Son of William Ferrand of York, plane-maker. Term of Indenture: Eight years as from 18th April 1800.

Luke Creaser Son of William Creaser of York, farmer. Term of Indenture: Eight years as from 17th December 1800. Married Catherine Potter 1808. Free 1809. moved to fossgate

Joshua Potts Son of John Potts of Howden, watchmaker. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 7th December 1802. Free 1810. Married Hannah Atlay. Committed suicide by arsenic poisoning on the 9th April 1854 aged 67.

John Duce Son of John Duce of York, shoemaker. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 25th April 1803.

Apprentices of Prince & Cattles’ of York 1804-1807

Benjamin Harrison Son of John Harrison the engraver at Hampston, Prince & Cattles. Term of Indenture: Eight years as from 23rd January 1805. Benjamin Harrison was to stay with the company for nearly thirty years, from apprentice to foreman. He died in 1836.

John Burrill Son of Thomas Burrill, Butcher of York. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 10th September 1806. Free 1814. Assay Master at York 1839-c.1857. He died on the 14th April 1864, aged 73.
John Burrill was the subject of a damming report following a visit from the Wardens of the London Goldsmiths Company on 11th October 1851. becomes licensed victualler of tiger inn 15 jubbergate 1851

Apprentices of Cattle & Barber of York 1808-1813

John Harrison Son of John Harrison the engraver at Hampston, Prince & Cattles. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 5th November 1808. Free 1818. Another member of the Harrison family who were so closely linked with this firm. Like his brother Benjamin, John was also a foreman with twenty-five years service to the company.

David Smith Son of Charles Smith, cordwainer. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 5th November 1808. Free 1818. Silversmith of Ogleforth 1818, Stonegate 1830, then Jubbergate. Died on the 17th June 1840, he had committed suicide by the cutting of his own throat, aged 45 years.

Robert Ellison Son of Robert Ellison of York, innkeeper. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 3rd June 1809. Free 1820. He married Ann Lupton on Christmas Eve 1819. working in brunswick place 1830. dies 1870

George Johnson Son of Joseph Johnson, saddler. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 1st January 1810. Free 1818. in petergate in 1818 and 1820 poll. Chamberlain 1825

Christopher watson son of robert watson teadealer, not listed as apprenticed but worked for them for 11 years beofre opening his own business, adjacent to the white swan in august 1814, then elsewhere in the city

Jacob Brown son of sarah brown 14th april 1814 to robert cattle 7 years

Apprentices of Barber & Whitwell of York 1814-1823

George Hall Son of John Hall of York. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 4th October 1817.

John Rylah/Rylake? Son of George Rylah of York. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 28th February 1818.

William Blackstone Son of George Blackstone. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 28th February 1818. Became a working jeweller at Whitby by 1830, and still recorded there in directories of 1872, at 44 Crag Street.

Robert Thomas Son of William Thomas of York. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 21st August 1819. Free by 1830.

William Darling Son of William Darling of York, shoemaker. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 18th September 1820. Born 29th September 1806. Free 1829. Noted as Watchmaker & Jeweller of 42, Coney Street, in York directories of 1851. Died 6th July 1888, aged 82.

William Giles Son of John Giles of Clifton. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 18th September 1820. Free by 1830. Became a Jeweller at Regent’s Park, London.

William Briskham Son of John Briskham of York, ostler. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 19th May 1821 £20

Henry Baines Son of John Baines of York. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 6th October 1821

Barber. cattle, North- Thomas Quick Aiden, son of William Aitken bookbinder, indentured 22nd september 1832 7 years, free in may 1841 in skeldergate

Apprentices of Barber, Cattle & North of York 1824-1835

John Cowlman Son of Richard Cowlman of York. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 5th March 1825.

Thomas Housman/Horsman Son of Thomas Housman of York. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 22nd May 1830. Free by 1839.

Robert Heselgrave Son of Robert Heselgrave of Chapel Allerton. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 22nd May 1830. Robert Heselgrave worked for the company for 29 years. In 1859, along with another former employee, Robert Walker, he purchased the business of Barber & Co. This partnership was to last but a few months, for by the end of 1859 Heselgrave was working on his own. He died on the 17th February 1885 from cirrhosis of the liver, aged 68. His widow, Margaret, continued with the business until her death on the 21st March 1890, aged 72.

Thomas Quick Aitken Son of William Aitken of York, bookbinder. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 22nd September 1832. Free by 1841.

Matthew John Blythe Son of John Blythe of Redeness Street, York. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 29th July 1835. Free by 1847.

Apprentices of Barber & North of York 1835-1847

John Harrison Son of William Harrison, confectioner. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 16th July 1836. Stayed with the company until he went into business on his own account in 1859.

William Hopton Son of George Hopton, corset maker. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 4th February 1837.

Edward Cloak Son of James Cloak, carver, gilder and looking glass manufacturer. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 4th February 1837. Free by 1846. becomes shopkeeper in layerthorpe. Died 23rd September 1865, aged 43.

Joseph Wadkin Son of John Wadkin, porter. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 5th November 1839.

Edward John Dale Son of John Dale of York, grocer. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 18th November 1839.

John Heap/Hesp Son of John Hesp of York, joiner. Term of Indenture: Seven years as from 9th June 1840.

Apprentices of Edward Jackson of York

John Buck (apprentice) Indentured 12th May 1818 for a period of seven years. Son of John Buck of York, Publican. Believed to have worked in Sheffield as a silversmith c.1830.

Thomas Riley (apprentice) Indentured 9th April (August?) 1821 for a period of seven years. Son of John Riley of York, Tailor.

William Horner (apprentice) Indentured 1st May 1822 for a period of seven years. Son of John Horner of York, Labourer.

Whether any of the above completed their apprenticeships with Jackson is doubtful as Jackson was declared bankrupt in 1824. William Horner for sure did not complete his apprenticeship, for on the 21th of February 1829, the York Herald reported this information in the Deaths Notices:

“On Saturday last, after a short illness, aged 21, Mr. Wm. Horner, of this city, silversmith.”

William Horner died on the 14th February 1829.

John Whip (journeyman) A former apprentice to the partnership of Hampston, Prince and Cattles, John Whip is believed to have worked as a journeyman to Edward Jackson c.1821 before leaving York to set up business in Sheffield