jan 1, 1593 - blacksmith

Description:

A smith who works iron; that is ‘black’ metal as opposed to tin or white metal. It is not a very early term, but occurs in an Act of 1483 (OED). In 1434 the ordinances of the London Company of Blacksmiths refer to <i>the hole company of the crafte of Blaksmythes</i> (Coote). Early examples in Yorkshire include: 1473 <i>Johannes Mowbray, blaksmyth</i>, York (SS96/194); 1487 <i>Johannes Bretan, blaksmyth</i>, York (SS96/213); 1593 <i>John Cowper, Harthill, blacksmithe</i> (YRS24/27); 1655 <i>Robert Hyne of Hallam … blacksmith</i> Sheffield (PR3/195). Shoeing smiths were more often called ‘farriers’ or in earlier records ‘marshal’, n.b. 1498 <i>Willelmus Ynchbald, blaksmyth and horsmarshall</i>, York (SS96/223). In earlier centuries horse-shoes were sometimes accepted as payment of a rent, e.g. 1341 ‘Richard Smyth holds a certain forge … pays 4 horse-shoes without nails’, Bradford (BAS2/60).

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