|
|
The village blacksmith was an important man for the livelihood of the parish; his work included fixing the metal tyre to wood en wheels, shoeing horses, mending farm machinery or any metal ob jects. The workshops ranged from sheds to substantial buildings.
The skills of the smith were often passed on within the family: we find a George Ankcorn apprenticed to John Corbet, blacksmith of Studley, in 1753 and Samuel Ankcorn still plying the trade there in the 1930’s. Other families of smiths are Hemming, 1732 Studley to 1880, Arrow, Blackburn in Spernall and Sambourne, Mason in Dunnington and Bidford, Horn in Coughton and Exhall; the earliest known smiths in the area whom we have found are William Dale of Studley (1695), John Raboll of Studley, then of Alcester (1696) and John Willis of Alcester in the 1680's There were smiths in Great Alne (Fred Mason, 1884 and Haselor (Mrs. E. Spires, 1884) but the sites are unknown.
| Ref. | Location | O.S. | Notes |
| A 44 | Meeting House Lane | SP 092576 | No trace, having housing on site; in use 1841 to 1900. |
| A 45 | Stratford Road | SP 090572 | Smithy in 19th cent; small brick building still used as forge for wrought-iron work. |
| A 46 | Seggs Lane | SP 087573 | Now demolished; in use to c. 1914 A 47 Bleachfield St. SP 088573 Behind No. 3, destroyed 1978, in use till c. 1914; was forge of ironmongers (. Elsley) on the High Street. A smith is listed in 19th cent. on Swan Street but he may have used this site. In 1828 (D) 5 separate smiths were at work in Alcester. |
| Ar 90 | Arrow | SP 055558 | Brick-built blacksmith’s shop belonging to Ridgeway Farm used till l975; no equipment remains; hearth there. |
| Ar 91 | Arrow | SP 080565 | Left-hand end of house brick-built shop 6 m. x 6 m. gable roof, tiled; loft over shop; beams appear original; 2 hearths and flues but no tools; a Mr. Barnet supposed to be smith here but he is not shown in D; smiths in D. for Arrow are: Richard Cooper 1850, Esther Cooper 1854-1874, Henry Hemming (also Wheelwright)’ 1880, William Dyer 1900-1908, Charles Collett 1914. it is not certain whether these smiths worked at site 90, 91 or elsewhere. |
| B 118 | Icknield Street | SP 102518 | Still in working order; present owner is Nick Forbes, 4th generation there. 1886 OS map a smithy is shown near gasworks but exact location not known. Bidford smiths in D are: G. Bryan, J. Osborn 1850, Thomas Wilcox 1872—1892, Henry Wilcox 1892; in Barton, William Osborn 1850. The Mason family were smiths in the parish, first in Broom then in Barton, 1850 to 1936. |
| C 129 | Coughton | SP 080604 | Smithy, still present, was south bay of 2 storey building of 3 timber-framed bays; forge and chimney of old brick still there, as are iron parts of 2 bellows; no anvil but 2 large wooden blocks for some unknown process; VCH dates forge as c. 1500. In D smiths are: William Chatterway 1850’s, William Black burn 1874, William Horn 1892 - 1936. |
| E 141 | Exhall | SP 102552 | Single storey, only shell remains; slate roof; directories list: Thomas Boyce (Ardens Grafton) 1850’s, John Clifton 1874, George Home 1892. |
| Sal 191 | Dunnington | SP 069573 | Still in use; single storey, L shaped plan; red brick, tile roof; double door at west end. D. list as smiths: Sam Porter 1850 - 1880, Henry Mason, 1892, John Mason 1908 1921, H. J. Mason 1936. Thomas Hughes was smith at Abbots Salford 1850 and Sid Brookes at Iron Cross. In 1874 George Line and James Horn were smiths at Iron Cross; Horn still there 1900; Frank Horn in 1908; from 1912 to 1936 Edwin Jennings at iron Cross. |
| Sm 219 | Sambourne | SP 061618 | Corner of Whitemoor Lane; no remains; bungalow on site’; still in use this century. |
| Sm 221 | Whitemoor Farm | SP 059617 | No remains; shown 1886 05 map and used by Alexander Blackburn after closure of Sm 219. Smiths at Sambourne in D: Benjamin Lewis 1854 Fred Lewis 1874, Benjamin and Fred Lewis 1884, William Blackburn (also fanper) 1892, Alexander Blackburn 1908. |
| Sp 224 | Spernall | SP 088624 | West of Cottage No. 1; no remains; but fence lies back about 7 m. from road where workshop used to be; in 1841 Census George Bennet (aged 15) agricultural blacksmith and Ann Blackburn (25) blacksmith, listed separately. |
| St 233 | Alcester Road | SP 073637 | South of "Duke of Marlborough"; No trace; workshop used to protrude into road; used as smithy till 1930’s; later used as cobbler’s shop by a Mr. Williams. |
| St 235 | Alcester Road | SP 075634 | Opposite old gasworks; 20th century smithy and timberyard owned by Lamb family; no remains. |
| St 248 | Claremont House | SP 074637 | 19th cent. whitewashed brick outbuilding adjoining east of house; 5 m. x 3. 5 m. including 3 small rooms; a 4th larger room to south of the building with double doors is likely workshop; no tool remain; now used as house store. Samuel Ankorn said to have shod horses and mended ploughs here till 1928. |
| St 254 | Littlewood Green | SP 069629 | Grocery shop 7 m. x 4 m; at front hinges remain for stable-type doors; a hole for fuel at rear; On 1886 03 map; Benjamin Boyce (D) 1874, 1884 smith at Littlewoo4 Green. |
| St 265 | Forge Garage | SP 082664 | No trace of smithy which was in front of present office; on 1886 OS map and c. 1910 - 1930 James Ross owned it; he mended mowers, traction engines from miles around; smiths working under him were Arthur Norris till c. 1920 and Wilfrid Wood. 1932 D Samuel Ankorn is smith at Mappleborough Green and also L. Summer, Motor Engineer. There was a bowser petrol pump here before 1920. |
| St 266 | Mappleborough Green | SP 082665 | North of Forge Garage; no remains of shed used by Dick Treadgold c. 192Q to 1950 who was a smith, wheelwright and coffinmaker; before 1920 he worked for William Podmore at St. 274. |
| St 274 | Mappleborough Green | SP 082661 | Homedene Cottage; brick outhouse to north of cottage and redbrick building with slate roof attached to s. e. of cottage with double door at s. w. corner; also shed further south with double doors on west gable end mostly corrugated iron and timber; used until 1940 by William Fodmore. D 1892 lists him as wheelwright and smith and in 1932 as wheelwright. |
| St 277 | Studley | SP 073627 | South corner of Holt Road; no trace of early 20th Century smithy but house built by smith, William Clay ton remains; he worked as smith till c. 1940 (D 1932) . D. list following blacksmiths for Studley: John Goodall 1830 - 1851 possibly near the church where he kept a pub "Horse and Groom" now demolished; Henry Bellamy 1830’s; John Bellamy 1850; William Humphries 1850; William Cooper 1874 Mappleborough Green; Henry Cooper 1884, 1892, Mappleborough Green; (possibly at smithy top of Gorcott Hill, actually in Worcestershire). In 1892 William Blackburn listed under both Studley and SambourrLe. |
| W 341 | Three Horseshoes | SP 092544 | Half-timbered southern end and outhouse at back used for smithing; no equipment left and build ings altered; 1854 Henry Hopkins innkeeper and blacksmith; inn had same name in 1811 which suggests that smithy dates back to 18th cent; John Robins did some smithing there in 1930’s; in 1884 Hopkins fam ily still kept the pikb but a smith, Henry Bryan, listed for Wixford. |
| We 333 | Weethley | SP 056555 | No trace of smithy at east end of dilapidated farm buildings, shown 1886 OS map, in 1884 George Knight was smith there. |