Thank you for that, Howard. Anne On 6/18/2011 3:23 PM, Howard Fuller wrote: > Raymond Gadney (rgadney@btinternet.com) started this thread by > enquiring what trade a Freeman of the City of Oxford might follow. As > the author of indexed lists of "The Freeman of the City of Oxford, > 1663-1997", perhaps I can contribute a little? > > I prepared these lists in 1998 at the instigation of Dr. Malcolm > Graham, at that time head of the Centre for Oxfordshire Studies in > Oxford Central Library. The lists were available in bound volumes on > the open shelves. (The Centre has moved from the Central Library and > will be part of the Oxfordshire Heritage Centre at St.Luke's, Cowley, > Oxford, due to open in July 2011.) > > The Introduction to the lists, prepared by Dr. Graham, outlines the > history of the Freemen of Oxford: > > The Freemen or Burgesses of Oxford are first recorded in the 11th > century. Some or all of them became the members of the town's > Merchant Guild by about 1100. The Merchant Guild gradually took over > the functions of local government and its officers were chosen from > among the Freemen. Only the Freemen, known also in Oxford as > Hanasters or Hannisters, were permitted to practise their trade within > the town and only they could vote at elections. [snip] > ... the number of admissions declined considerably after 1835 when the > Municipal Corporations Act swept away exclusive trading privileges and > widened the franchise to non-Freemen. > > Admission to the Freedom was generally by patrimony, that is by being > the son of a Freeman, or by serving a full apprenticeship to a > Freeman. Many people also became Freemen by Act of Council, usually on > payment of a fee. The practice of granting Honorary Freedoms developed > further during the 17th century and several historically important > persons were so honoured. The number of such honours declined sharply > after 1835 ... [snip] > > The Corporation which developed out of the old Merchant Guild kept > detailed records of Admissions to the Freedom and Apprenticeship > Registers from the early 16th century. The Registers of Freemen or > Hanasters provide the Date of Admission, the Name of the Freeman, the > name and occupation of his Father, and (where the Freedom had been > obtained by Apprenticeship) the name and occupation of the Master. A > typical entry in the Apprenticeship Registers includes the name of the > Apprentice, the name, occupation and place of origin of the Father, > the name, occupation and domicile of the Master, and the date of > Indenture and Enrolment. [snip] > > Some Admissions to the Freedom are indexed in "Selections from the > Records of the City of Oxford 1509-1583" (W.H.Turner, 1880) and in the > volumes of Oxford Council Acts covering the years 1583-1801 which have > been published as "Oxford Historical Society 1st Series vols. 87, 95" > and "2nd Series vols. 2, 10, 15". The 18th Century Apprenticeship > Registers have been calendared and indexed in "Oxford City > Apprentices, 1697-1800" (Ed. Malcolm Graham, Oxford Historical > Society, 2nd Series, vol. 31, 1987). > > I hope this will be helpful. > > Howard Fuller > _____________________________________________ > > Oxfordshire Surname Interest list - www.oxsil.org.uk Have you entered your names of interest? > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >

You also have my thanks Howard, it was not only helpful but interesting. Is there a list of the sources used in the compilation of your lists? Are these lists available in any form, other than veiwing them at the new Heritage Centre? Regards Ray G