I remember Dad and I taking our ponies to be shoed by Harry Jackson, the Blacksmith, in Beausale, when I was a little girl during the 1960s. He lived in the little cottage with his sister (Elsie?), and his stable workshop was next to the cottage on the left of the house. He showed me all his Blacksmith’s tools, and told me how sometimes the horses kicked him when he was putting new shoes on them, and ‘knocked the stuffing’ out of him! I was worried that my sister’s pony Frolick would kick him, as he was a nervous pony, but luckily he didn’t. Nor did our horse Lena.
A lovely, kind old man
Dad told me there weren’t many Blacksmiths like Harry Jackson left, he was a lovely, kind old man. I remember the red glow of the fire when he blew the bellows, and the sound of his hammer shaping the horse shoe on the anvil – ‘clang, clang, clang’, each shoe made to be a perfect fit for each individual horse. He would keep quenching the horse shoe, and then lifted the horse’s leg by pulling up its furlock, to check that it was the right shape, and then heated the shoe up again and hammered it to readjust the shape.
His cottage is still there in the village. We lived nearby at The Reddings, Beausale.
Comments
I have a photo of Harry Jackson’s blacksmiths tools on my wall! I’ll take a photo and upload it.
When did the blacksmiths in Stoneleigh cease functioning? I think it too was still going in the 1960s.
Have a number of great memories of Harry and his sister Elsie. His workshop was an amazing place to be for a young lad. Was incredible to see such craftsmanship and used to love being there helping with the bellows and watching him work.
Little Elsie was a great character too. I can picture her sitting next to the big range they used to have in the house, with her cats around her.
Both of them get a very favourable write up in the book “Born on the Straw” by Dorothy Strange. This was about a gypsy family who used to pop in to the Smithy.
I recall reading somewhere that the little building nearest to the road by the Smithy was a butchers I think and even was where a band used to practice ?!
Thanks for the article Lise. Have good memories of the Bolsters too (Just across the field to you!).
We too used to ride our ponies to Harry Jackson for them to be shod. Even then he was not too happy shoeing the more lively ones. I remember working the bellows for him using a long wooden lever system hung from the roof joists in his forge. He did have a electric fan for the fire by then but the old bellows still worked. I can also remember sitting with Elsie by the water pump behind the cottage and the cats too! The one thing I always think of as well is the masses of stinging nettles all around the place.
It is so refreshing to see these reviews of the Smithy. Harry Jackson and his sister Elsie were personal friends of my Nan and Granddad (Bill and Rose Marshall). My Granddad fitted all of the electricity sockets throughout the cottage. I used to go there every 2-3 weeks with my Dad (Tony Marshall). Even as a young girl, I had to bend my back whilst within the cottage because the ceilings were so low. Their range was so beautiful I remember the kettle over the fire and the food was cooked within its ovens. Harry had retired when I knew them I vividly remember him giving me a grand tour of the Smithy. The stables were located to the right of the Smithy. At the back of the cottage was their working Well and to the side, Elsie used to do her washing using her vintage possibly “antique” utilities? Beyond that, was the most wonderful field which I played in. There were sheets of snowdrops in the front garden by the slated path. I often think of them and it is always with warmth, they were wonderful.
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