February 2025: Register of Apprentices, 1908 to 1928

February’s Object of the Month is this unique Register of Apprentices dating from 1908.  When boys were taken on as apprentices at Swindon Works, their details were recorded in this book in beautiful copperplate handwriting.  The register records the name and date of birth of the boy, his chosen trade, and the initial task and workshop he was allocated to.

Apprentice Register 1908

The usual route for boys into an apprenticeship was via their father who was already employed by the GWR.  The register includes details of each boy’s father, including his years of service and the details of any other sons who were apprentices at Swindon Works.  It was a hierarchical system where boys were offered apprenticeships based on the position that their father held.

Apprentices were taken on between the ages of 14 to 16.  They generally finished at 21, meaning that an apprenticeship could take up to seven years.  An apprentice was expected to have a good reference from school, as well as good health and eyesight.  They were also expected to continue with their education by taking night classes in subjects such as technical drawing, engineering and maths.

Apprentice Engine Cleaners 1900

At the end of their time, an apprentice was given a Certificate of Apprentice which detailed their experience and included a character reference.  However, an apprenticeship with the railway did not guarantee a permanent job.  As the red line struck though the pages of the register suggests, apprentices were automatically dismissed at the end of their training and had apply for any vacant positions with the railway.

Apprentice Certificate 1908

You can see this Register of Apprentices, as well as many more fascinating objects relating to apprentices, in our brand-new exhibition Doing Time – A Railway Apprentice.

Many images of railway apprentices can be seen on the STEAM Picture Library website