Introduction

You may have already seen our image of the Indenture between George Leather and Thomas Hamond Bartholomew dating from 1812. Nearly one hundred and thirty years later George Alan Irvin was apprenticed to Richard Dunston Ltd, Shipbuilders of Thorne, Yorkshire. He was to  learn to become a joiner. 

It is perhaps surprising to see that some of the conditions of George’s apprenticeship mirror those required of Thomas all those years earlier.

Richard Dunston Ltd

Established at Thorne in 1858 Richard Dunston, shipbuilders and repairers, started out building wooden vessels at its yard on the banks of the Stainforth and Keadby Canal. While wood would be replaced by steel plate as the material of choice for shipbuilding, there was still plenty of work for time served joiners. Shipbuilding ended at Thorne in 1983.

George Alan Irvin

Born in late 1927, George Alan, known usually just as Alan, had only just turned fourteen years old when the agreement was originally dated in 1941. His father George Henry Irvin was also party to the agreement having given his consent to the contract. 

Notice that the Indenture was only signed by all parties two years later on 15 February, 1943. The reason for that delay is not known. Alan would remain with Richard Dunston, rising to become foreman joiner by the time Thorne shipyard closed in 1983. 

Note how much Alan was going to get paid as an apprentice. That 10/- per week is equivalent to 50 pence today, although back in 1941 it would have bought considerably more than you would get for 50p today.