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Some Special Interests => Occupation Interests => Topic started by: honeybun on Monday 23 May 05 16:38 BST (UK)

Title: White Smith
Post by: honeybun on Monday 23 May 05 16:38 BST (UK)

I have just come across a relative who occupation was "White Smith".  Any ideas please?

Honeybun

Title: Re: White Smith
Post by: Hackstaple on Monday 23 May 05 16:46 BST (UK)

Whitesmith - a worker in tin. 8)

Title: Re: White Smith
Post by: honeybun on Monday 23 May 05 17:06 BST (UK)

Thanks Hackstaple - nice to see you back.

I've just seen the posting about Brightsmith too.

Honeybun

Title: Re: White Smith
Post by: percy on Tuesday 24 May 05 13:32 BST (UK)

Hi Honeybun,

Whitesmiths were 'workers in tin' --- for example they 'tinned' the insides of copper, iron, and other cooking vessels.

But the term was also used indiscriminately of PEWTER makers/workers : and when "Britannia Metal" -- a form of pewter --- came into use in the late 18th early 19th century,  BM workers were also called whitesmiths.

What period , and location, was your whitesmith ?    In the 19th Century, Sheffield and Birmingham were the main centres of Britannia Metal making ------ but the simple tinning if cooking vessels was even carried out locally by itinerant 'Tinkers'.

PERCY 

Title: Re: White Smith
Post by: honeybun on Tuesday 24 May 05 14:04 BST (UK)

Hi Percy

This man was born in Suffolk, but was living in Kent in 1861 with his family (all born in Kent) so perhaps he mended pots and pans for a living.  He had been in Kent for at least 20 years but I don't know where he was before then or where he learnt his trade.

Thanks for the extra information anyway - it all gets filed away for future reference!

Honeybun

Title: Re: White Smith
Post by: percy on Tuesday 24 May 05 14:44 BST (UK)

In the period and area you mention, your man would NOT have been a Britannia Metal worker, and is VERY unlikely to have been a pewter maker.   No mention under the Bs in the Bible of pewter makers, Cotterell.

Most likely he 'tinned' the inside of metal cooking vessels : 'galvanized' ironwork  --- then a major source of new 'whitesmith' work ---- and/or repaired damaged pewterware.

Percy

Title: Re: White Smith
Post by: Ex-pat on Monday 30 May 05 13:36 BST (UK)

Just off the cuff:- a whitesmith was also known as a tinsmith, because he made a variety of items from tin sheeting.
Among the many and varied items he made were waterbottles for miners, dishes of varied sizes, lunch cans, just to name a few.
Ex-pat

Title: Re: White Smith
Post by: G Mlx on Saturday 13 January 18 14:54 GMT (UK)

Whitesmiths worked with cold metal, while blacksmiths worked hot metal