In my study, I examine the distribution by places of origin of the locksmith apprentices joining the guild in Debrecen at the end of the 18th and during the 19th century. The basis of the analysis was the register of the locksmith guild of Debrecen as included in the Hajdú-Bihar County Archives of the Hungarian National Archives, which also contains the contract entries of the apprentices. I have been able to identify the place of origin of nearly 1,100 apprentices between 1780 and 1884, so I have been able to include 92% of the apprentices recorded by the scrivener. Apprentices arrived to Debrecen from 143 settlements, mostly from the villages and market towns of Bihar County. To find out more about the multiplicity of origin composition, I searched for answersto the following questions: Could the rural masters belonging to the Debrecen guild hire apprentices?; Which counties did the apprentices arrive to Debrecen and in what amounts?; Did more apprentices come from rural towns or villages?; Does the agglomeration designated by the places of origin of the apprenticescover the 19th-century market area of Debrecen?