The Blacksmith Shop

 

John Foxton the Blacksmith c. 1930.

 

The forge was opposite to the Church where a sign still stands.  It continued to be a working forge until the1980s when it was converted into a house.

 

The parish register of 1735 records the burial of Mary, wife of Robert Wilson the blacksmith.  Robert Huddlestone was the blacksmith in 1787, when his son William was baptised.  The blacksmith Francis Huddlestone married Mary Ward on 23rd of March 1854.  She died and he married again in November 1873 to Dorothy Duffield.

 

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Three generations of Foxtons then worked the forge.  These included John and Anne Foxton, Thomas Henry and Dora Annie, Cecil and Christiana.  Many Foxtons lived at Pasture House the grounds of which are full of old horse shoes, metal bits and pieces.  The Foxton's were related to the Huddlestone's.

 

The last blacksmith in Normanby was Jarvis Browning, part of the famous literary family.  The wind vane on the garage of Pasture House was made by him (the design is a train based on one atop of the old North Eastern Railway HQ buildings in York).  Jarvis also made the main gate latch for pasture house.  He is still in the area working on a peripatetic basis.

 

Jarvis had the romantic notion of planting a chestnut tree outside the forge but it was too close to the building and had to be removed.

 

Blacksmiths recorded in Directories:

 

Robert Huddlestone 1857, John Foxton 1879, John and Thomas Foxton 1931, (being the sons of John, John (Jack) lived in Fernleigh and Thomas lived in Pasture house he also had a son Thomas Hubert who married Gladys Sleightholme, Gladys sold to the Dowells), Thomas H and Cecil Foxton (Vine cottage) to 1960 and R  Rosher.

 

Blacksmith's Cottage

 

This tiny little house is now a listed building.  George & Phyllis Hornby lived there in 1942 followed by Art Marton to 1958.  In the 60's it was the home of Tommy Workington a WW2 soldier.