Freedom Admission Certificates

This is the certificate for the apprenticship of William Hopkins the younger to his father, William Hopkins the elder, in the Vintners Company of London. It is the original document, and is signed by William (probably the elder). The date of the certificate is 3 Nov 1686, when William the younger would have been sixteen, a usual age for an apprenticship to begin. William the younger was given the freedom of the city in June 1695 (City Freedom Admission Papers Index, 1681-1700).

This is the certificate giving Benjamin Hopkins the freedom of the city and membership in the Vintners Company. It was dated 14 May 1705, and signed by Robert Pate, carpenter, who was a friend of William Hopkins and mentioned in his will. William died in July of that year. Benjamin was admitted to the Vintners by Patrimony, rather than apprenticship, because his father was a member. The date of his admission in the City Freedom Admission Papers Index, 1701-1713 is October 1705.

In the Quaker records, William the younger is said to be a shopkeeper, while Benjamin and William the elder are said to be Vintners and gardeners. This may mean that William the younger didn't follow the vintner's trade after his admission; he lived in Buckinghamshire after his marriage, and may have preferred following another line of business. Regarding the occupation of gardener, I spoke with one of the reference librarians at the Guildhall Library, who said that the guilds were losing their former power during this time period, and sometimes admitted people to membership who didn't intend to follow that trade. I checked the records of the Gardeners Company, but didn't find either William or Benjamin Hopkins in them.

Vintners Company Hopkins Freedom Admissions

Source: Vintner's Company,
Register of Freedom Admissions 1658-1768,
Guildhall Library, MS 15212/1

This file was last updated on 7/15/2004.