Blacksmiths

This research has been very kindly donated to this OPC site by local researcher Richard Smith in April 2026

The village blacksmith workshop is shown on the 1887 OS map above next to the school at the east end of the village. There was a Reading Room adjoining and the site is now occupied by The White House and Blacksmith's Cottage. No early photographs found as yet.  It is not known at present whether the smithy was always at this location.

Blacksmiths working at Winterbourne Abbas

George RICHARDS was baptised at Godmanstone on 13th December 1776 son of George and Mary RICHARDS nee CHAFFY.  I do not know if George Snr. was also a blacksmith but a George RICHARDS was recorded as a blacksmith in the Dorset Militia listing for the village in 1796. George Jnr. married Lucy READ at Holy Trinity church, Dorchester on 24th August 1796 and they had six children before Lucy died and was buried at Winterbourne Abbas on 14th April 1813 aged 42.  George was recorded as a blacksmith there in 1813 and 1816. He then married Anne FORE at Godmanstone on 2nd February 1815, before George died and was buried at Winterbourne Abbas on 28th October 1832.

George RICHARDS was baptised at Askerswell on 15th May 1803 son of George and Lucy RICHARDS above. He married Elizabeth WHITTLE at Compton Vallence on 23rd February 1834 and was recorded working as a blacksmith at Winterbourne Abbas in baptism records 1834 - 1854, then in census returns from 1841 to 1861. Then in 1871 he was landlord of the Lion Hotel at Holywell, Evershot, but is missing in 1881. He died and was buried at Winterborne Abbas on 13th March 1888 aged 84.

Joseph RICHARDS was baptised at Winterbourne Abbas on 22nd February 1807 son of George and Lucy RICHARDS above. In 1841 he was working as a journeyman blacksmith at Godmanstone with Thomas BILES, then in 1851 at Kilmeston, Hampshire, but in 1861 he was back at Winterbourne Abbas lodging with William Atkins, a farm labourer, working as a blacksmith.  It appears he entered the Dorset County Asylum on 5th July 1868 and died there on 17th April 1878.

George BONNELL  - was he baptised at West Knighton on 4th January 1807 son of George and Elizabeth BONNELL nee LOCK ?  He married Elizabeth LOVELL at Askerswell on 15th October 1827 and their son Charles was baptised at Winterbourne Abbas on 29th June 1828 - his father recorded as a labourer. Then there is a George BONNELL born 1806 a blacksmith sentenced to three months in Dorchester prison on 23rd January 1830 for poaching, but giving his domicile as Askerswell. He was then recorded as a blacksmith at Winterbourne Abbas on baptism of his daughter Amelia on 17th August 1834 and son George on 26th February 1837. In 1841 he was a journeyman blacksmith at Holy Trinity, Dorchester, before he died and was buried at Winterbourne Abbas on 16th July 1846 aged 39.

Robert NEW was baptised at West Stafford on 16th April 1815 son of Thomas, a labourer, and his wife Mary NEW nee HOLLOWAY.  He married Lydia FRAMPTON at Piddletrenthide on 25th February 1837 but she died and was buried at Upwey on 8th October 1861, and Robert then married Sarah STACEY nee WALLIS at Upwey on 28th January 1865. He was recorded as a blacksmith at Winterbourne Abbas in 1841 but by 1851 through to 1881 he was working at Upwey, where he died and was buried on 30th December 1883 aged 68.

James WALBRIDGE was baptised at Powerstock on 18th April 1820 son of Thomas, a dairy farmer, and his wife Lydia WALBRIDGE.  He was recorded as a journeyman blacksmith lodging at Winterbourne Abbas in 1841 with John WOODWARD, a tailor.  He married Rebekah LIMM at Winterbourne Steepleton on 3rd December 1848, and was then recorded in 1851 and 1861 as a blacksmith at Powerstock. Rebekah died and was buried at Abbotsbury on 8th February 1869, and James was a blacksmith there in 1871 and 1881. 

He was then a blacksmith at Kinson in 1891, was missing in 1901 and I think died at Kinson in February 1902.  

John TREVETT was baptised at Winterbourne Steepleton on 28th August 1831 son of Reuben, a labourer, and his wife Mary TREVETT nee CLARKE who had married there on 18th October 1827. He was aged 10 living at home in 1841 but in 1851 was lodging with George RICHARDS, blacksmith, working as a blacksmith at Winterbourne Abbas. By 1861 he was a farm labourer at Buckland Newton, then in 1871 to 1891 a brewery worker living at Dorchester where he died in October 1896.

Robert NEWMAN was baptised at Sydling St. Nicholas  on 26th February 1814 son of Thomas, a shepherd, and his wife Ann NEWMAN.  He married Mary Ann CHURCHILL at Wareham on 7th July 1844, then was a blacksmith at Winterbourne Abbas from 1851 to 1871, but in 1881 was then retired working as a farm labourer. He died and was buried at Affpuddle  on 9th July 1884.

Samuel WARREN was recorded in the Post Office trade directory of 1859 as blacksmith, wheelwright and inn keeper at Coach and Horses Inn at Winterbourne Abbas. He was born in 1802 at South Perrott and married Pylaletta TALBOT ( K/as Pyla ) at Wyke Regis on 26th December 1833. In 1851 they were living at Winterbourne Steepleton where Samuel’s listed as a carpenter and wheelwright. He did not appear in a census at Winterbourne Abbas as he died there on 26th September 1859 and was buried at Winterbourne Steepleton on 2nd October 1859. In 1861 Pyla was recorded as a widow and inn keeper at the Coach and Horses Inn.

Thomas HAYNE or HAINES was baptised at Portesham on 15th May 1808 son of John and Dorothy HAYNE nee BARTLETT.  He married Elizabeth HODDER at Portesham on 15th January 1835 and worked as a blacksmith there in 1841 and 1851. In 1861 he was a blacksmith at Winterbourne Abbas, but in 1871 he was lodging with Thomas Perry, a carpenter, working at Melcombe Regis whilst his wife stayed at Winterbourne Abbas. He was back there in 1891 but had retired and working as a farm labourer. He died and was buried there on 27th March 1901 aged 93. 

William Purchase NORTHOVER was baptised at Puncknowle on 18th July 1841 son of John, a carpenter and labourer, and his wife Jane NORTHOVER nee PURCHASE.  William was a farm labourer at Swyre in 1861 before he  married Henrietta Cumming MACKAY at Winterbourne Abbas on 7th June 1866.  William was recorded as a blacksmith at Winterbourne Abbas from 1866 to 1872 before he then moved to Sydling St. Nicholas where he was recorded as a blacksmith through to at least 1901. He died and was buried there on 23rd September 1906.

James Parker Brett STICKLAND was baptised at Portesham on 14th March 1847 son of Jeremiah, a tailor, and his wife Frances STICKLAND.  He was working as a shoeing smith at Winterbourne Abbas in 1871 before he married Lucy WOODWARD there on 1st January 1872, and then recorded there in baptism records as a blacksmith in 1872 and 1874. By 1881 he was blacksmith and landlord of the Half Moon Inn at Portesham, but was just a blacksmith there in 1891 and 1901. He died there in 1907.

Walter Clothier was recorded as a blacksmith working at Winterbourne Abbas when he married Eliza SNOOK there on 1st September 1873. He had been born at Maiden Newton in December 1850 son of George, a carpenter, and his wife Mary CLOTHIER nee MIDDLETON.  Walter died and was buried at Winterbourne Abbas on 2nd April 1875 aged 24.

James Thomas HARTNELL was baptised at Lytchett Minster on 30th November 1845 son of Joseph, farm labourer later an engine driver, and his wife Ellen Ann HARTNELL nee FURBER.  He married Fanny LUGG at Bere Regis on 11th June 1870 when working there as a blacksmith but then was recorded at Winterbourne Abbas as a blacksmith from 1876 to 1891 when he was also a carrier.  He was working at Cowes, Isle of Wight in 1901 and then as a farrier in Southampton from 1911 to 1921. Fanny had died in June 1914 and in May 1924 James sailed on S.S. Antonia to Quebec, Canada to live with his daughter Ann in Ontario, where he died in November 1934. 

Jesse William MITCHEM was baptised at Mosterton on 24th January 1862 son of John, a carpenter and inn keeper, and his wife Sarah MITCHEM nee WARRY.  In 1881 he was a blacksmith at Charminster before, on 17th July 1884, he joined the Royal Artillery as a shoeing smith, No. 43539.  He married Rose GREELISH at Marylebone, London on 19th July 1891 and was discharged from the Army on 13th July 1896. From 1896 until 1915 he was recorded as a blacksmith at Winterbourne Abbas, but in 1921 the family were living at Wyke Regis. Jesse died at Newbury, Berkshire but was buried on 24th July 1935 at Winterbourne Steepleton. 

Frank Newman BOWSHER was living at Winterbourne Abbas working as a tinsmith when he married Lily Elizabeth THORNE there on 5th April 1920. He had been born in Hampshire on 14th March 1890 son of Frederick Thomas, a G.W.R. plate layer, and his wife Martha Eliza BOWSHER.  In 1911 he was living at home at Newbury, Berkshire working as a copper smith before he enlisted in the Royal Army Ordanance Corps in W W One No. S/6866 serving in India and Afganistan.  In 1921 he was living at Broadstone working mainly making copper petrol tanks. He died registered at Poole in April 1926.

Alfred William MOXOM was born at Godmanstone on 9th June 1885 son of George, a blacksmith, and his wife Annie MOXOM nee DAWE.  In 1901 aged 15 he was a blacksmith’s assistant to his father and living at home at Godmanstone.  His marriage to Rose MOWLEM in April 1908 was registered at Dorchester, and in 1911 was living in Dorchester working as a blacksmith ( under MOXON ). In 1920 and 1921 he was recorded as a blacksmith at Winterbourne Abbas, but by 1939 was living at Weymouth working as a gas engineer. He died at Weymouth on 29th march 1952.

19. 4. 2026

Richard Smith