I have been researching ancestors in Italy that were all blacksmiths. I don't know about England or other countries, but it certainly was a family trade in my line (over 100 years). Because the occupation was listed on vital records (birth, marriage, death) it has been a helpful clue for distinguishing my line from others with the same surname. Not only was the trade passed from fathers to sons, the sons tended to marry daughters of other blacksmiths. As to apprenticeship, I don't know but I doubt it--more likely, working in the fathers' shops may have been their apprenticeships. In some cases, especially in larger families, younger sons moved to other towns and established their businesses--I assume because the blacksmithing "market" in the hometown was already saturated by their father's and brothers' businesses. Some of those ancestors immigrated to the USA and ended up working not as blacksmiths but in related areas, such as building railroads or settling near iron! mining towns. I too, would appreciate some basic information about blacksmithing back then... the very limited research I have seen has been enlightening. It was, of course, more than shoeing horses! So many things in the homes, from candlesticks to kitchen utensils, came from the blacksmith's shop. Donna CaliforniaGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com