Blacksmiths Plemstall or Mickle Trafford

[JanW]

Hello,

I'm trying to locate the whereabouts of a smithy in the Plemstall or Mickle Trafford.  My Nield ancestors were blacksmiths in the area in the mid 1800's but so far I have failed to find any reference to a smithy in the area.

Hope someone can help.

Jan

[Jo Harding]

Hello JanW,

Would the name of your ancestor be John Nield?

I have him in the 1841 census in Mickle Trafford, age 40 and occupation Blacksmith.

I don't know of a blacksmiths at Mickle Trafford offhand. The best sources of information regarding this would be either the local Township pack on Mickle Trafford, or the book on Mickle Trafford in the local history series. Both of these can be found in the Cheshire Record Office, or libraries in Cheshire. Chester library has a good stock of them in particular.

It could have been that he lived in Mickle Trafford but worked elsewhere. I know there was at least on blacksmith in Kelsall, not too far away. My ancestor was one of these in this period.

Jo

[JanW]

Hi Jo,

My ancestor is George Nield - John's brother I believe - and son of Samuel Nield.  George's son George Philip TAylor Nield is also a blacksmith and I have found him in Milton St. Chester and also a reference to him buying a blacksmith's shop in Gorse Stacks, Chester , so the whole family seem to have a blacksmith's connection.

Your point about him living in Mickle Trafford and working elsewhere is a good one and I know that his son George Philip has his birthplace  listed as Guilden Sutton and although the birth is registered a year before his parents were married  this may be the place to look.

Many thanks.

Jan

[Jo Harding]

Hello Jan,

Your best sources to get this information would be the Township Packs and the books in the local history series. The former have been written on most of the Cheshire villages and contain quite a bit of detail on life in these.

The local history series books were written by Frank Latham in the main. Again, most of the villages in West Cheshire have been subjects studied in some depth in each individual book.

Both of these are available from the Cheshire RO and libraries. The Township Packs can be purchased from the RO too.

I have a good idea there was a blacksmith at Guilden Sutton. I think the place where it stood has a house named after it today.

Have you approached the Chester Heritage and History Centre about the blacksmiths in Chester itself?

Jo.

[mshrmh]

Jan - you might be lucky finding where they lived on the tithe maps site - you can search by name (as owner or tenant) - the results are by "plot" eg a field, but there are also "house and garden" types of entry. If you're lucky you can then see where they were on a map, side-by-side with a modern map:
http://maps.cheshire.gov.uk/tithemaps/

[Tarnwater]

Jan,
In '2000 Years in Mickle Trafford' by Derek Rowell, it mentions a smithy. It says: The Penfold in Hoole Village stands in Oakbank Lane, at the beginning of the century, it stood adjacent to the blacksmiths house. The smithy business declined with the advent of motor vehicles and the smithy building became derelict.
Brian

[JanW]

Hello to all who have been so kind in replying.   Please accept my apologies for not acknowledging your help sooner but some sad family happenings intervened.

Anyway thanks so much for all your suggestions, next time I'm in Chester I'll go to the Heritage Centre and look at the Township Packs and check out the Derek Rowell book.     My Mum who's in her eighties had an idea that there was a smithy somewhere near to the turning for Hoole village from the Mickle Trafford road which may well be the one in the book Brian mentioned.

Thanks again.

Jan

[Tarnwater]

Jan,
Follow this link to see where the penfold is, http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2686293
Brian