working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

176 CRAFTS AND TRADESto Henry Joyce to learn the trade of a milliner. Nomention is made of his wife, but as he received boyapprentices also,' it may be supposed that in factthe two trades of a carpenter and a milliner werecarried on in this case simultaneously by him and hiswife. The blending of these two trades is notedagain in the case of Samuel Joyce ; the trade theother girls were to learn is not generally specified,but Rebecca Perry was definitely apprenticed toWilliam Addington " to learne the Art of a Sempstressof his wife."3 Two girls were apprenticed to " ThomeClarke. . . . London Civi et Carpenter addiscend artem de Child's Coate seller existen. art.uxoris sue pro septem annis.""Elizabeth Lambert, the daughter of Thomas Lambert,formerly of London, silkeman, was apprenticedin 1678 to Rebecca Cooper, uidow of Thomas Cooper," Civis Carpenter London," for seven years.6 Anothergirl who had been apprenticed to this same womanin 1668 applied for her freedom in 1679, which wasgranted, though apparently her request was an unusualone, the records stating that " Certaine Indenturesof Apprentiship were made whereby RebeccaGyles, daughter of James Gyles of Staines, . . . .was bound Apprentice to Rebecca Cooper of theparish of St. Buttolph without Aldgate widdow forseaven yeares . . . . this day att a Court ofassistants then holden for this Company came RebeccaGylles Spinster sometime servant to Rebecca Coopera free servant of this Company, and complained thatl Rrrords of the Worshtpful Cdmpany of Carpenters, Vol. l., p. 65, e.g. c re winRadford (obligatur Maria Radford de Perpole in Com Dorsett vid. in 100' Protentut apprentice).Ibtd, Vol. I., p. 149, 1674. " Edmundus Wilstead filius Kenrici Wilstead de Thetfordin Corn NorIolcie yeoman po : se appren. Samuel1 Joyse Civi et Carpenter Londonnecnon de Exambia Regali London miliner pro septem anni8 " etc.a Ibrd, Vol. I., p. 162.Vbtd, Vol. I., p. 148.Ibtd, Vol. I., p. 156.CRAFTS AND TRADEShaveing served her said Mistres faithfully a Termeof seaven years wh" expired the twenty-fourth dayof June, 1675, and often desired of her said MistrisTestimony of her service to the end shee might beemade free, her said Mistres had hitherto denyed thesame ; & then presented credible persons withinthis Citty to testifie the truth of her said service,desireing to bee admitted to the freedome of thisCompany, which this Table thought reasonable,vnlessethe said Rebecca Cooper, her said Mistres on noticehereof to bee given, shall shew reasonable cause tothe contrary, etc."' Encouraged by the success ofthis application, two other girls followed RebeccaGyles' example, one being presented for her freedomat Carpenters' Hall by Thomas Clarke in 1683 andanother by Henry Curtis in 1684.~Thus it may be presumed that apprenticeshipto a brother or sister of the Carpenters' Companyconferred the right of freedom upon any girls whbchose to avail themselves of the privilege, even whenthe trade actually learnt was not that of carpentry.Amongst the girl apprentices only one other wasdirectly bound to a woman, namely " Elizabethafilia Hester Eitchus ux. Geo. Eitchus nuper Civiet Carpentar. pon se dict Hester matri pro septemann a dat etc."3Although Hester Eitchus is herecalled " uxor " she must really have been a widow, forher name would not have appeared alone on theindenture during her husband's lifetime ; boy ayprenticeshad previously been bound to him, and no doubtas in the other cases husband and wife had beenprosecuting their several trades simultaneously, thewife retaining her membership in the Carpenters'Company when left a widow. An independentJupp. Carpenters, p. 161, 1679.Records of Worshipful Company of Carpenters, Vol. I., p. 198.' Ibid, Vol. I., App. Entry Book, p. 159, Feb. 3, 1679.