THE STURTIVANT AND STURTEVANT GENEALOGY WEBSITE

From 1710 for about a hundred years, masters who charged their apprentices were required to pay a duty, and those registers which survived are now held in the IR.1 series at The Public Record Office at Kew, Surrey, England, UK. Not all survived.

Tax was levied at a rate of 6d for every £1 up to £50, then 1s for every sum above £50. The early years (about half way) show the name of the parent or guardian and usually where he lived, also sometimes his occupation. The later entries generally only give the name of the apprentice.

The following family entries have so far been found, but not all ledgers have yet been seen. The spelling of places and names is as show in the ledgers, no attempt having been made here to correct them. The folio numbers listed are the originals, and not the later stamped ones which offten differ.

IR.1/5 Fo.4. Warrant and Indentures brought - Friday 10 August 1716.
Master - William Hurst of Tuxford, Notts, Glover.
Apprentice - Jno Sturtivant of Dunham, Nottingham.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 27 June 1716.
Amount £1. Tax paid 6d.

IR.1/5 Fo.177. Warrant and Indentures brought - Monday 19 August 1717.
Master - Phillip Webster of New Sleaford, Lincoln, Milliner.
Apprentice - Mary Sturdivant daughter of Mary Watton of Timberland, Lincoln.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 1 August 1714 [sic - not clear].
Amount £20. Tax paid 10s.

IR.1/6 Fo.197. Warrant and Indentures brought - Wednesday 15 April 1719.
Master - Saml Sturtavant of Doncaster, York, shoemaker.
Apprentice - John Spencer.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 2 February 1718/9.
Amount £3. Tax paid 12 6d.

IR.1/10 Fo.33. Warrant and Indentures brought - Friday 3 July 1724.
Master - Abigall Sturdivant of Newark upon Trent, Milliner.
Apprentice - Hannah Dawson
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 3 years from 6 November [?] 1722.
Amount £18. Tax paid 9s.

IR.1/33 Fo.107. Warrant and Indenture brought – Thursday 26 April 1787
Master – Thos Sturtevant of Glamford Brigg Co of Lincoln, Apothecary
Apprentice – Griffith Jones
Common Indenture & Counterpart – 7 years from date
Amount £30. Tax paid £1 10 0d (Double Duty)

IR.1/35 Fo.95. Warrant and Indentures brought - 1 March 1792
Master - J. Sturteevant [no place given]. Apprentice J.Chapman
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 8 February 1792.
Amount £25.5s. Tax paid 12s 8d.
SIDE NOTE - Signed without being completed.

IR.1/43 Fo.62. Warrant and Indentures brought - Wednesday 10 March 1713/4
Master - Timothy Ward of the City of Lincoln, Sadler
Apprentice - Thomas son of Jno Sturtivant
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 19 May 1713.
Amount £21-10. Tax paid on May 19, 1713 10s 9d.
Collector Thomas Howson at Lincoln.

IR.1/44 Fo.90. Warrant and Indentures brought - 18 Jun 1716.
Master - Robt Bellamy of Newark on Trent, Iron Monger.
Apprentice - Laur son of Jno Sturtivant , Mercer.
Date – 28 Jan 1715.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 3 years from date.
Collected by Richd Smith at Nott.
Amount £20. Tax paid 10s.

IR.1/46 Fo.90. Dated 21 March 1720.
Warrant and Indentures brought Thursday 12 May 1720.
Master - Wm Elwick of Doncaster, York, cordwainer.
Apprentice - Wm son of Jos Sturvant , deced.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 1 year from 13 November 1719
Amount £4. Tax paid 2s.

IR.1/52 Fo.177. Dated 24 July 1756.
Warrant and Indentures brought 23 September 1756.
Master - Tho Sturtevant of Louth, Sadler
Apprentice - Rt Hall 27 May 1756. 2nd indenture.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 25 March 1756.
Amount £20. Tax paid 10s.

IR.1/52 Fo.199. Dated 4 January 1756/6.
Warrant and Indentures brought 8 February 1757/8.
Master - Stephen Waterhouse, Worsope, Frameworker.
Apprentice - Thos Stirtevant . 2nd indenture.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 28 November 1756.
Amount £3. Tax paid 1s 6d.

IR.1/54 Fo.32. Dated 18 October 1760.
Warrant and Indentures brought 17 February 1761.
Master - Henry Spencer of Dunington, Basketmaker.
Apprentice - Jonathan Sturtevant . 1st indenture.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 1 October 1760.
Amount £8. Tax paid 4s.

IR.1/55 Fo.162. Dated 2 August 1765.
Warrant and Indentures brought 7 November 1765.
Master - Edwd Tutin of St.Peters Notingham, Druggist etc.
Apprentice - Richd Sturtevant . 2nd indenture.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 22 July 1765.
Amount £30. Tax paid 15s.

IR.1/56 Fo.32. Dated 13 October 1767.
Warrant and Indentures brought 23 February 1768.
Master - Wm Bradley of Newark, Mercer.
Apprentice - James Sturtevant . 2nd indenture.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 30 September 1767.
Amount £20. Tax paid 10s.

IR.1/58 Fo.31. Dated 12 June 1771.
Warrant and Indentures brought 18 March 1772.
Master - Edward Goodall of Nottingham in the County of Nottingham, Butcher
Apprentice - William Stirtevant . 2nd indenture.
Common Indenture & Counterpart. 7 years from 4 May 1771.
Amount £8 8s. Tax paid 4s 2d.

NB. Doreen and Ray Sturtivant are at present supervising a project by the London Branch of the Lincolnshire Family History Society to extract and list all Lincolnshire entries from these ledgers, for publication by the society in some form. The first stage covers the 'Town' or 'City' ledgers IR.1/1 to IR.1/40, where the duty was paid in London, and this is nearing completion. The second stage, now under way, will cover the 'Country' ledgers IR1/41 to IR1/73, where the duty was paid elsewhere than in London

A list of Lincoln City Apprentices in the Lincolnshier Archives Office includes the following:

p.202 Thomas Sturtivant son of John Sturtivant inrolled as apprentice to Timothy Ward of the City of Lincoln, sadler on 1st May 1713.
p.215 Thomas Sturtivant son of John Sturtivant assigned to William Wilson of the City of Lincoln, sadler on 9th February 1718.
p.298 Thomas Sturtivant son of John Sturtivant enfranchised on 29th April 1734

p.210 Zachariah Sturdivant son of John Sturdivant inrolled as apprentice in the sum of £20 to John Cook of the City of Lincoln baker for seven years from 4th March 1716.
p.249 Zachariah Sturdivant son of John Sturdivant apprentice to John Cook of the City of Lincoln baker enfranchised on 7th July 1727.
[this is my interpretation of the entries, which are in Latin]

p.328 Thomas Stirdevant son of Thomas Stirdevant inrolled as apprentice to the said Thomas Stirdevant his Father of the City of Lincoln Sadler and Harnessmaker for seven years from the 11th November 1738.
p.338 With the consent of his father assigned over to Thomas Drewry for the remainder of his term. 6th December 1740.
P.368 Thomas Stirdevant son of Thomas Stirdevant apprentice to the said Thomas Stirdevant his Father of the City of Lincoln Sadler and Harnessmaker enfranchised on 7th June 1747 .

p.328 John Stirtevant son of Thomas Stirtevant inrolled as apprentice to the said Thomas Stirdevant his Father of the City of Lincoln Sadler and Harnessmaker for seven years from the 9th December 1743.
p.395 John Stirtevant son of Thomas Stirtevant apprentice to the said Thomas Stirdevant his Father of the City of Lincoln Sadler and Harnessmaker enfranchised on 4th December 1753.

p.402 Patrick Drummond son of Patrick Drummond apprentice to John Drewry 17th August 1748, lately deceased - with the consent of his widow assigned over to Thomas Sturtevant the younger of the City of Lincoln, Sadler. 25th September 1754.
p.416 Patrick Drummond son of Patrick Drummond apprentice to Thomas Sturtevant the younger of the City of Lincoln, Sadler with the consent of Thomas Sturtevant reassigned to Patrick Drummond, sadler.

p.402 Robert Drummond son of Patrick Drummond apprentice to John Drewry 17th August 1748, lately deceased - with the consent of his widow assigned over to Thomas Sturtevant the younger of the City of Lincoln, Sadler. 25th September 1754.
p.416 Robert Drummond son of Patrick Drummond apprentice to Thomas Sturtevant the younger of the City of Lincoln, Sadler with the consent of Thomas Sturtevant reassigned to Patrick Drummond, sadler.

p.409 Thomas Curtois son of Thomas Curtois of Potterhanworth in the County of Lincoln, Victualler, inrolled as apprentice to Thomas Sturtevant of the City of Lincoln, Sadler and Harnessmaker for seven years from the 25th March 1755.
p.425 Thomas Curtois. Thomas Sturtevant of the City of Lincoln, Sadler and Harnessmaker having left off trade assigned over to Ward Mason of the said city, sadler for the rest of his term.
p.20(2) Thomas Curtois enfranchised on 10th March 1768.

p.414 Robert Hall son of Roger Hall of the City of Lincoln, yeoman, inrolled as apprentice to Thomas Sturtevant of the City of Lincoln, sadler on 25th March 1756.
p.425 Robert Hall. Thomas Sturtevant of the City of Lincoln, Sadler and Harnessmaker having left off trade assigned over to John Parsons of the said city, sadler for the rest of his term.
p.20(2) Robert Hall enfranchised on 10th March 1768.

The Patternmakers Company apprenticeship records for 1673 to 1805 include the following:
CROCKFORD James s Edward, Minehead, Som, mariner, to James Bayley 7 May 1694 turned over to EDMUND STURTEVANT , citizen and painter stainer.
[The original records in the Guildhall Library (ref GL Ms5652/1) may possibly give more details but have not yet been seen]

Nottinghamshire Apprentices

Microfilmed apprenticeship records formerly held by the Nottinghamshire Archive Office on Reels Z227 and Z228, but probably now on microfiche include the following:

Joseph Sturtevant son of John Sturtevant of Castle Donnington, Leics to Joseph Bradshaw of Nottingham, Framesmith for 7 years from 21 December 1754, entered 15 January 1755.

Jonathan Stirtevant son of Jonathan Stirtevant of Arnold, Notts to William Spencer, FWK, 7 years from 21 June 1762, entered 7 July 1762.

Christopher Sturtevant son of John Sturtevant of Dunham, Yeoman to Charles Harratt(?) of Nottingham, FWK, 7 years from 16 June 1766, entered 31 December 1766.

John Stirtevant son of John Stirtevant late of Dunham in the County of Nottingham deced, apprentice/by Indenture of Apprenticeship bearing date the Twenty second of April 1776 for seven years to serve from the date thereof in consideration of the service and one penny to Thomas Richards his Executors, Administrators and Assigns - entered the same 25th September 1776.

Samuel Sutton son of John Sutton of Nottingham indenture 26 July 1781 to Christopher Sturtevant , FWK of Nottingham - entered 14th August 1781.

[FWK = Framework Knitter]

The Company of Cutlers was formed in 1624 in Sheffield, Yorkshire. Entrance to the trade by apprenticeship was obligatory. A statute passed in 1563 fixed seven years as the minimum length of service, and enacted that no person might exercise any trade, craft or mystery until the apprentice was in his last year. Boys were often apprenticed at the early age of 10, usually for a period of 7 years. The Master agreed to teach the boy his trade and provide him with food and lodging. The Apprentice was not to marry during his term of apprenticeship. Apprentices could be become freemen of the City, but many did not take up their Freedom until they were long out of their time - sometimes not for 40 years or so.

The old records, which cover the period 1618 to 1858, survive with the Company and were transcribed in "The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire* in the County of York" by Robert Eadon Leader (1905).The transcription listed around 24,000 names, of which 245 related to Nottinghamshire boys. These included:

STURTEVANT Joseph , son of John of Kneesall. Apprenticed (1) 1630 to William Robinson, Cutler for 8 years, and (2) 1635 to John Bullus, Cutler for 4 years. Listed as Free in 1939 - i.e. completed his apprenticeship [and took up Freedom].

STURTEVANT Samuell , son of John of Kneesall, Husbandman. Apprentice 1630 to Thomas Bate for 7 year. Not listed as Free, so presumably never finished his apprenticeship. [Did not take up Freedom]

[ It is surmised, though not proved, that Samuell was the founder of the present American Sturtevant family, having emigrated to the New World before completing his apprenticeship as a cutler ]

* Hallamshire is an archaic term for the Sheffield area.

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