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Object of the Fortnight - Indenture

04 March 2011

Indenture (Certificate) of Apprenticeship

This indenture is particularly special as it is one of the earliest that we hold in the collection and is related to an important company in the history of Coventry’s motor industry – The Daimler Motor Company Ltd.

The indenture is dated 27th September 1898 and is for an apprentice named Herbert Dixon Haydon. The indenture gives us a fascinating insight into working conditions at the time. Herbert was taken on as an apprentice in fitting. The apprenticeship was to last 7 years and he was to earn one penny per hour which would increase to a maximum of 12 shillings per week in his last year – for a 54 hour week! He wasn’t to receive any payment for absences including sickness, accident or holidays.

The indenture was donated to the museum in 2009. We discovered it in a box full of varied and un-related material – it was a very nice surprise!

Photograph by Haydn Bailey

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