William Carey, Indian Adventurer |
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Apprenticeship |
William was eventually apprenticed to a shoemaker, Clarke Nichols, who lived in another Northamptonshire village, Piddington. |
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Being an apprentice meant living in the house of a skilled craftsman to learn the trade while working to earn your keep. The proper name for someone who made shoes in all their stages was 'cordwainer'. In the 18th century, manufacturing was all done in people's homes, not in factories. Northamptonshire was famous for its shoemaking industry. |
Inside Clarke Nichols cottage |
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You can find out more by visiting the Central Museum in Northampton and the Museum of Leathercraft. In the Carey museum at Moulton you can see the long stool on which William sat to make shoes and some of the tools he would have used. |
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