Hello, The people are not directly related to Cumberland ; but the general question could apply, as in the mining industry. My ancestor David Knowles said that when he was orphaned in 1821 he was sent to live with relatives and apprenticed to keep the books at a lime kiln. I have found 2 Knowles' in approximately the correct area (he was speaking to an audience of American children (at a sort of Cymanfa-Welsh eqiuvelant of a revival meeting) in western Nebraska in 1892, and who were probably not at all familiar with UK geography - he said it was Liverpool but I have found an entry across the river in Denbigh that looks promising). In the 1835 Pigot's of North Wales it lists an Edward and a John Knowles as "Slaters & Plasterers". Wouldn't a slater have access and reason to apprentice a nephew at a quarry/lime kiln ? David