Isaac Lightfoot seems to have had a faltering start to his legal career. This may explain the covenant included in the agreement binding his son in 1792.
On 26 November 1767 attorney Charles Christian of Moorland Close, Cumberland, paid the duty on Isaac Lightfoot’s apprenticeship indenture. The following year Isaac was articled to Henry Lowes. What prompted this change is unclear at present. Isaac made sufficient progress however to set himself up in practice as one of attorneys of George III at the Court of King’s Bench at Westminster. In January 1775, by articles of agreement he took on William Wilkinson, the son of John Wilkinson of Arkelby, Cumberland, for seven years.
Robert Lightfoot’s early progression in the legal profession followed the same path as his brother Isaac. He too was apprenticed to Charles Christian and then to Henry Lowes.
On 2 November 1792, by articles of agreement, Isaac took on his son John as an apprentice in his legal firm. By the agreement John ‘did put and bind himself clerk to the said Isaac Lightfoot to serve him as such from the day of the date of the said Articles for the term of five years … subject to a covenant’. The covenant stated that if Isaac thought it proper he could assign over his son and the articles binding him at the end of the first, second, third or fourth years of his apprenticeship to ‘any attorney in London or Westminster or elsewhere’ that Isaac though fit to serve out the remainder of his term of five years.
By 1799 Isaac Lightfoot was one of four certified attorneys in Wigton. The others were his son John, and Joseph Martindale, Joseph Stamper.
Sources
The National Archives (TNA), IR 1/25, Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices’ Indentures, 1710-1811, Charles Christian, master, Moorland Close, Cumberland, Isaac Lightfoot, apprentice, 26 November 1767
TNA, CP 5/77/3, Articles of clerkship (as a solicitor or attorney) for Isaac Lightfoot, articled to Henry Lowes, with affidavit, 1768
TNA, Court of Common Pleas: Registers of Articles of Clerkship and Affidavits of Due Execution; Class: CP71; Piece: 1, Henry Lowes, attorney, Wigton, Cumberland, Robert Lightfoot, apprentice, 14 June 1768
TNA, Register of Duties Paid for Apprentices’ Indentures, 1710-1811, Charles Christian, master, Moorland Close, Cumberland, Robert Lightfoot, apprentice, 7 July 1768
TNA, Court of King’s Bench: Plea Side: Affidavits of Due Execution of Articles of Clerkship, Series I; Class: KB 105; Piece: 6, Isaac Lightfoot, attorney, Wigton, Cumberland, John Lightfoot, apprentice, 12 January 1793
The New Law List 1799
This is a work in progress, subject to change as further research is conducted.