Coventry Apprenticeship Records

The Shakespeare Family History Site

Coventry Apprentices

Transcript of Coventry Apprentice Enrolment Register 1781-1801

Apprentice name	Enrolled	Parents etc	Abode	Parent’s trade	Charity	Masters Name	Rel	Ward	Occupation	Partners
Shakespear William	15/04/1782	Thomas (decd) Simon (bro)	Keresley	Farmer		Thomas Riley		Cov	Silk Dyer	John Webb
Shakspear David	10/10/1801	David	Coventry	Warehouseman		John Hewitt		Cov	Watch motion maker

The two records above are the only two Shakespeares The two records above are the only two Shakespeares on the register. The first is obviously the son of Thomas Shakespear of Keresley and Martha Loynes and half brother to Simon. William was born in Corley in 1765 which means he would have been around 17 which was quite late for an apprenticeship. It seems from the transcript that William’s father Thomas was already dead by 1782 and that it was his brother Simon who would have paid for the apprenticeship. The trade of farmer might therefore refer to Simon’s trade rather than Thomas’s. In both cases above no charity paid the fee and no relationship is recorded between master and apprentice. Ward relates to where the Master was based whereas Abode relates to the place where the apprentice comes from. The first record shows that William was apprenticed to two people – both Thomas Riley and John Webb.

The following records were copied from later registers but may not be complete or entirely accurate.

Apprentice name	Enrolled	Parents etc	Abode	Parent’s trade	Charity	Masters Name	Rel	Ward	Occupation	Partners
Shakespear John	28/07/1808	David	Coventry	Warehouseman	CLS	Joseph Pettifor		Cov	Cooper
Shakespeare Benjamin	13/12/1806	David	Coventry	Warehouseman		Samuel Allen		Cov	Watch maker
Shakespeare Joseph	06/03/1805	Simon (decd)	Keresley	Farmer		Joseph Jordan		Cov	Grocer dealer and millner

Coventry Apprentice Enrolment Register 1802-1811

The first two records plus the last record of the table above relate to the same father David Shakespear so there appears to be another family with at least three sons – John, Benjamin and David. The last one to be apprenticed John was apprenticed by a charity Cow Lane School – this could have been because the family had fallen on hard times or maybe the father was dead although it does not say this on the records.

The last record is obviously part of the Keresley Shakespear family.

Coventry Apprentice Enrolment Register 1812-1821

Apprentice name	Enrolled	Parents etc	Abode	Parent’s trade	Charity	Masters Name	Rel	Ward	Occupation	Partners
Shakespear James	09/02/1816	William (decd)	Coventry	Brewer		James Cole		Cov	Tailor
Shakespear John	22/08/1812	John	Coventry	Pawnbroker		William Hawkes		Cov	Ribbon silk maker
Shakespear John	04/07/1814	William	Coventry	Dyer	FFX	Thomas Tann		Cov	Brush manufacturer
Shakespear William	23/06/1815	John	Coventry	Dyer		Isaac Brown		Cov	Engine weaver silkman
Shakespeare Charles	09/12/1816	Charles	Sow	Weaver		Edward Watson		Cov	Silkman

Coventry Apprentice Enrolment Register 1822-1831

Apprentice name	Enrolled	Parents etc	Abode	Parent’s trade	Charity	Masters Name	Rel	Ward	Occupation	Partners
Shakespear George (14 yrs)	10/02/1827	Parish apprentice	Bulkington			William Hayward		Cov
Shakespeare Thomas (13 yrs)	10/05/1825	Parish apprentice	Bulkington			Charles Shakespeare		St Michaels
Shakespeare Thomas	17/10/1822	William(decd) Sarah (widow)	Coventry	Dyer	FFX	John Clifton		Cov	Weaver

Coventry Apprentice Enrolment Register 1832-1841

Apprentice name	Enrolled	Parents etc	Abode	Parent’s trade	Charity	Masters Name	Rel	Ward	Occupation	Partners
Shakespeare John	20/04/1836	Charles	Coventry	weaver	FFX	Charles Shakespeare	father	Cov	weaver