therefore, for the remedy it was ordered that all apprentices in future should not be made free until the age of twenty-four, at which age his apprenticeship is to expire, and any master violating the order to pay a fine of 20l. It is a curious coincidence, too, that in the original rules, dated September, 1557, for the government of “the House of Bridewell,” which hospital the City had recently obtained from Edward VI., there is a special ordinance relating to the oversight of “the Nail House”:—

Now for the setting on work of the idle; it shall be very requisite that with as much speed, and as conveniently as yᵉ may, that yᵉ increase the number of apprentices being taught in the said faculty and discharge the number of journeymen, to the intent the same apprentices being themselves perfect and absolute therein may train and teach such of our poor children or other needy people as hereafter we shall call out of the hateful life of idleness.

As already stated, the overseers, artmasters, taskmasters, workmasters, or artificers, for the foremen of the Bridewell shops, where the boys were taught clothworking, weaving, pinmaking, &c., were so called, had under their charge sometimes 150, and as many as 250. Two of the hospital minute entries tell us:—

1602, Oct. 21.—Richard Brookes, fustian weaver, engages to take during seven years next ensuing 40 vagrant boyes and wenches of this city as apprentices to keep in diett, apparell, washing and wringing: the said R. Brookes to receive with every of the said children at their coming clean apparell and 10l. yearly.

1604, February 20.—Francis Ackland, pinmaker, engages to take 40 vagrant boys as apprentices.

And in 1606 the minute-book reports the order that the names of all proposed apprentices brought into the House of Bridewell shall be registered, as also the master’s name. During the last century the apprentices in the house gradually declined, for in 1708 there were 140, in 1768 only 60, in 1789 only 36, and in 1791 only 26, illustrating but too forcibly the change in the times. It is probably not generally known that in the olden time the Bridewell boys upon the ringing of the fire-bell by the beadle used to drop their tools and start off to the fire, wherever it was situate in the metropolis. The result was:—

They were active, to be sure, and serviceable; but what were the consequences to themselves? They were thrown among all those profligates which a fire collects in the streets. They got liquor, they got money, and frequently roamed about the town all night without controul. The masters lost the benefit of the next day’s labour; and not seldom boys were hurt, and for a long time disabled from working. It is about 20 years since this very pernicious practice was restrained.

By the above quotations, written in 1798, we have shown that Bridewell was not only a House of Correction for City vagrants, but was from its foundation a real workhouse and artisans’ workshop. Many ignorant and misinformed persons have before now gone out of their way to abuse this institution, and declare that it never was put to the use the royal founder intended. We could multiply our proofs that Bridewell always was a useful house until Government, more than a century ago, meddled with the City management, and spoilt this and Christ’s Hospital as well.

Another ancient ordinance of the City is dated 1582, when every freeman was charged to take such steps necessary to prevent, and not to suffer under any circumstances, “servants, apprentices, journemen, or children, to repare or goe to annye playes, peices or enterludes, either wiᵗʰn the Citie or suburbs,” under the severe pains and penalties “at the discretion of me and my brethren.” Exactly a century later, on August 9, 1682, some 2,000 apprentices of London, who had taken active steps in the address to Charles II. for the support of the institution, were feasted in Merchant Taylors’ Hall, the king specially sending them two fat bucks for the occasion.

The following is a copy of an original apprenticeship indenture, dated 1676. It is printed on vellum, 7 by 4 inches in size, the names and date being the only portions written:—