Apprenticeship papers are good places to look for an individual's age. Apprenticeships normally lasted until the individual was 21 years old, so you can subtract the length of the apprenticeship from 21 years to get the individual's age at the time that they were bound into an apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships were regulated by local courts, so check the courts in the area where your ancestors lived for apprenticeship papers. If the courts no longer have apprenticeship records, you may also find them in the holdings of local libraries, genealogical societies, and archives. Genealogical societies in the area may be able to tell you where local apprenticeship papers are located.

Return to the Main Menu of the Genealogy "How-To" Guide