In 1719 a yeoman farmer called William Harding of Walton, Aylesbury, left the whole of his estate to create a charity to apprentice poor children of the parish to 'proper' trades, which meant children living in the home of a master or mistress for several years. Hanley's well-researched book offers a history of the charity and the apprenticing system, and sheds light on wider aspects of British history, including topics such as the rights of both apprentices and masters.
