• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Blacksmiths

D

diane hodges

master brummie
my grandfather was a black smith i always thought he worked with horses(silly me) now on the 1911 census it showes him still as a black smith but working at the mint so could it mean he made money sham i never saw any of it di
 
Although Blacksmiths are often thought of as just horse shoe-ers, in fact they often were general iron workers too - agricultural engineers in the country, making and fixing farm equipment like ploughs and harrows, and machinery repairers in urban areas.
'Smith' was a generic name for metal workers, so there were goldsmiths and silversmiths who worked with those precious metals.
I doubt if your grandfather actually made money, but as a blacksmith I suppose he would repair the machinery that did, if it should break.
 
This has been of interest to myself and blacksmiths years ago made many things wrought iron gates etc but farriers shod horses. On TV the other evening it showed a woman training to be a blacksmith and it is blooming hard work even for a man. Jean.
 
There used to be a couple of Polish? chaps who were Blacksmiths in Parliament St, Small Heath (just off Jenkins St) I think they were brothers. Give them a piece of metal and they could forge or make you anything. They were there until the 80's at least.

Phil
 
G G Jean said:
This has been of interest to myself and blacksmiths years ago made many things wrought iron gates etc but farriers shod horses. On TV the other evening it showed a woman training to be a blacksmith and it is blooming hard work even for a man. Jean.
Click to expand...

Hi Jean,

You're right about the distinction between blacksmiths and farriers,
but in a village location where there may only be one smith he would
carry out both functions. Interestingly, my grandfather was in the
Royal Horse Artillery, and his rank there was Shoeing Smith.

Kind regards

Dave
 
On an Army trade course we had 1wk Blacksmith training this covered making cold chisels (not for woodwork), horseshoes, fire welding, gas welding, brazing, soldering, it was so that you could carry out repairs in a mobile workshop to Guns away from a permanent workshop. Len.
 
Thanks Dave for that. I married a Smith but there are thousands of them so have not looked into the family tree. My Taplin family have a Blacksmith and a Gamekeeper in it. Bye. Jean.
 
Phil said:
There used to be a couple of Polish? chaps who were Blacksmiths in Parliament St, Small Heath (just off Jenkins St) I think they were brothers. Give them a piece of metal and they could forge or make you anything. They were there until the 80's at least.

Phil
Click to expand...
Hi i don't suppose anyone has the name of the brothers at all please?
 
Jonob said:
Pretty sure their surname was Roberts and they were originally from Wales not Poland, John.
Click to expand...
Thank you was also wondering if by any chance you no the name of the actual blacksmiths? And am I right in thinking the brothers names are Jack and Les?
 
A Sparks said:
Great photo!
I was corrected once by a student from the University of the Arts in London where they had a display of fancy ironwork, gates etc, he said that they were Blacksmith's and that the men who shoe horses are Farriers - of course, you could be both!
Click to expand...
Almost every village had at leaast one Smith, the trade name of metalworkers. They could do anything from repairing (and even making) farm machinery, carts & wagons, metal gates, making and fitting horse shoes. Little wonder the commonest name in Britain used to be 'Smith'. A 'Farrier' deals almost exclusively with horses' feet and their shoes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top