When Master Blacksmith John Owen Lynch (1793-1860) arrived from New York in Guelph in 1827, he faced a considerable challenge. This was a pioneer community. As the only blacksmith, he was expected to help John Galt fulfill his plans to create a thriving community in this wilderness.
There is no doubt that the blacksmith was an extremely important individual in any early settlement. He was the proverbial and indispensable jack-of-all-trades. While farmers took care of their own tools to an extent, it was the blacksmith who was educated in making and repairing these same tools to a higher standard.
It was to the blacksmith that all other craftsmen turned when their tools required repair work. A blacksmith could also make tools and create new variations. When it came to metalwork, the blacksmith was responsible for the manufacturing and repairing of all types. This meant knowing how to make everything from nails to horseshoes to ploughs to basic kitchen items to fancy hitching posts.
Blacksmiths made horseshoes and then applied them (as a farrier). They repaired the wagons essential for carrying goods and providing services. If a plough broke, an edge tool required repair, or nails were needed, people went to a blacksmith.
Blacksmiths were equipped to perform these tasks. They had the right tools, the proper training, the level of experience and the skills to do so. In the 1800s, blacksmiths did not become masters at their craft/trade until they had undergone an apprenticeship. This was followed by becoming a journeyman. Only after the requisite time of between four and seven years had passed could a journeyman be considered a master blacksmith.
From Apprentice to Shop Owner
In Guelph, examples of this route from apprentice to master blacksmith abound. William Sallows of Guelph apprenticed first with John Sallows (no relation) in 1842. He then worked with Dan Linderman, a blacksmith then George Wilson during the 1850s. Only following his training with these local blacksmiths did he decide to set up his own shop at the corner of Gordon and Wellington. By then it was the early 1860s. This particular shop became a family affair. It grew to be one of, if not the largest blacksmith shops in Guelph.
However, George Rodger and William Gibb served only one year at Coffee’s Blacksmith and Wagon Shop before setting up their own establishments. Rodger opened his in 1864; Gibbs in 1865. This, like many who today work in various industries and retail, was the goal of many apprentices. However, like so many other business ventures, it depended upon economics. When times were good, master blacksmiths had to pay their apprentices more to retain them. Yet, by doing so, they increased the chances of them obtaining enough funds to leave earlier and start a shop of their own.
In poor economic times, the opposite applied. In fact, with less demand for his skills and products, a blacksmith might do more than pay journeymen and apprentices less money. A blacksmith could release them, forcing them to perhaps travel to another community to find a position.
Before they could reach this exulted position of Mastersmith, apprentices had to adopt a hard work ethic. During this period, many apprentices and journeymen did not live at home or even in their original community. Often, they lived with the blacksmith. Under the contract, the master blacksmith was to provide the apprentice with food, training and schooling. It is a fallacy to consider blacksmiths as ignorant and unable to read or write. They had to be well-schooled in order to operate a successful business.
Many of Guelph’s apprentices lived with their masters in the years before 1861. Morris Coffee was to be found “at May’s Blacksmith,” while James Demsey was at Owen Lynch’s. In 1860, besides family members, William Sallows housed both Charles Pindar and Charles Eby. Thomas Anderson housed Joseph Blake (Journeyman) and George Black (Apprentice).
The Decline of the Blacksmith: Changing and Expanding Roles
Guelph had many blacksmiths from 1827 to 1900. During this development phase, blacksmiths were generalists, although they specialized in metalwork. They did not work from patterns or have patents. While their expertise produced ploughs, these were not generic. The same applied to pokers, shutters, hinges, springs and crews. Many combined their skills with other compatible crafts and other craftsmen becoming wagon makers as well as blacksmiths. Allan’s Mill, the first of its kind in Guelph, built a blacksmith shop on site. Later agricultural works such as Thain’s, Cossitt’s, Levi’s and Gowdy’s were to provide work for several blacksmiths.
This absorbing of work traditionally intended for the blacksmith became a trend as technology advanced. The arrival of the Guelph Foundry (Robertson’s) came to Guelph in 1847, it marked the beginning of a new phase for metalworking. Foundries working from patented patterns could produce agricultural equipment with greater alacrity than the average blacksmith. Foundries such as Robertson’s hired blacksmiths while larger establishments such as Crowe’s Iron Works incorporated blacksmiths. Larger industrial concerns such as Raymond’s and Bell’s had their own foundries and blacksmith shops.
For many blacksmiths, this marked a major change. While some went to work for foundries and manufactories, others did not. Some continued to operate small shops or operate in conjunction with liveries. In many cases, these blacksmiths saw their role diminish from generalist to specialist; from jack-of-all-trades to farrier. This was the trend that was to continue as technology, urban development and a focus on mass production continued to undermine what had been the domain of the blacksmith – once the most important craftsman in Guelph.
List of Guelph Blacksmiths (so far)
NAME GUELPH DATES ADDRESS
Aiken, William 1867-68 Cardigan St.
Algie, James 1881-1894-99 Glasgow; Norfolk
Algie, James Jr. 1894-96 Metcalfe
Anderson, Allan 1894-96 Suffolk
Anderson, Thomas 1861
Armstrong, Irwin 1889, 1894-99 70 Yorkshire; Glasgow Armstrong, James Jr 1861, 1870 at J. Armstrong’s; 92 Perth
Armstrong, Robert 1837-1848 at J. Armstrong’s
Armstrong, Stewart 1882-83 bds. London Rd.
Armstrong, William 1852, 1861, 1865
Bailey, James 1875-77 bds. Grove
Bailey, Samuel R. 1889-99 17 Durham
Bailey, Thomas 1901
Bailey, William 1870-71, 1881-99 Ann &Water; Essex
Barber, Herbert 1873 bds Cardigan
Bard, George 1861, 1870-73, 1881 Fleet and Bristol; Clark
Bard, Robert 1864 Fleet & Bristol
Bartlett, John 1889 47 McTague
Beattie, George 1871-72 Dublin\Paisley
Beirnes, James 1881, 1889-94 Grange
Bell, Harry P. 1889-99 bds Kirkland; Kathleen
Bentley, William 1901-3
Black, George 1861 at Anderson’s
Blackwell, William 1873 bds. Great Western
Blake, George 1861 at Anderson’s
Bolding, Henry 1873 bds. Cardigan
Bothwick, William 1864 at Anderson’s
Bradford, George 1894-99 bds Queen’s Hotel; 158 Surrey
Bradley, Alfred J. 1894-99 bds. 25 Durham
Brecker, James 1881 at Home
Bridge, William 1861
Bruce, George 1856, 1861, 1865 Eramosa
Brunton, John 1885-1912 Division, Elora
Bryden, Alex 1881-83 bds. 70 Yarmouth
Burkholder, John 1894-96 258 London
Burns, James 1885-96 Grange
Burns, William 1856-57, 1861 Wyndham
Buskin, William 1885-99 61 Glasgow; 220 Neeve
Cabelou, Samuel 1889 Lane
Cane, James 1873 bds. Dublin\Kent
Carlisle, Matthews 1856
Carmady, James 1855-57, 1861 York Rd.
Carr, William 1864 at Gibb’s Smithy
Carter, William 1865 Duke St.
Chamberlain, Clark 1871-1873 Nottingham; Essex
Champion, Charles 1881-92 Preston; Gordon\Dundas
Champion, William 1855-61 McDonald
Chase, Caleb 1861, 1870, 1873 Cardigan
Chase, Charles 1881 at Chase’s
Chase, William 1889, 1892-94 bds. Fergus; London Cherrie, Yetman 1889
Clark, Angus 1889, 1892 7 Woolwich
Clark(e), John 1861
Clelland, George 1881
Cocking, William 1862 at Armstrong’s
Conly, Arthur 1889 95 Kent
Cook, James 1885-89, 1894-99 bds. Hewer’s; Grant; 228 Grove
Cowan, Alex 1875-76 30 Quebec
Cowan, Robert 1873-77, 1885-86 bds. Wellington; bds Quebec
Cowan, William 1873 Wellington Hotel
Cross, Nathan 1873 bds. Perth & Derry
Dennis, George 1861, 1892-4 Pearl
Donaldson, George 1864 Edwin St.
Dow, James 1862, 1883-1903 at Thomas Anderson’s ; 15 Webster
Dowell, James 1894-99 Webster
Dreaver, Robert 1879, 1883-84 Woolwich
Dudgeon, Alex 1856 Cardigan
Earon, Robert 1873 Gordon
Easton, Charles 1897-99 Grange
Elliott, Charles 1891 hotel
Errin, Robert 1875-77 bds. 87 Woolwich
Fairgreve, George 1873
Farrell, John 1881 at Home
Finn, James 1882-83 bds. London Rd
French, James 1882-83, 1894-96 bds. Dublin & Kent; Grange
Garrard, J.H. 1885-9, 1894-99 Perth
Garrard, Seaman -1846
Gibb, Bernard 1865 John Harris’
Gibb, William 1863-1865 at Gibb’s
Gibbons, John 1861
Gibson, James 1881 at Hogan’s Hotel
Glew, Thomas 1894-96 Woolwich
Graham, Samuel 1889 bds Grange
Grant, George 1894-6 24 Green
Grant, W.G. 1894-96 bds. Green
Gray, William 1897-99 30 Charles
Grindell, Henry 1885-86, 1889 Catherine; Suffolk
Hackney, John 1867-1870 35 Perth
Hallet, Henry 1873 bds. Mont
Hallet, William 1871-84 Mont
Hamilton, William 1881 at Dad’s
Harley, George 1861 Isaac Hutt’s
Harris, William 1894-99 Paisley; Crimea
Hatton, Thomas 1852-53
Hays, William 1853, 1856 McDonald
Healey, Pat 1889
Heeney, John 1871-72, 1885-86 Perth; American Hotel Hewer, George 1867
Hignell, Henry 1861, 1870-71, 1894-99 bds. 87 Norwich
Hi(y)lliard, Charles 1867, 1882-83 bds Strange
Hilliard, Frank 1867, 1885-86
Hodge, William 1889-99 Palmer; Suffolk
Hooper, John 1861-1870,1875-77,1881-84 Elizabeth; 15 MacDonnell
Hooper, William 1855-75, 1881-84 23 Elizabeth; Gordon nr. Essex
Hooper, William Jr. 1889-92 85 Wellington; Nottingham
Horning, Robert 1865 Gordon
Howard, William 1881
Hume, P. 1875-77 bds. Ward Hotel
Hunt, Charles 1889
Hunt, John 1855-56, 1861
Hunter, Rd T. 1889, 1892-99 bds. 33 Queen/Edwin, 17 Chambers, 77 London
Hutt, Issac 1856 Priory Block
Kay(e), Eli 1873, 1881
Kelly, Barnard 1857 May’s Blacksmith
Kelly, John 1882-3, 1889-96 bds. 24 Woolwich; Glasgow & Northumberland Kelly, Patrick 1881 Thompson’s Boarding House
Kelly, Thomas H. 1862 at Anderson’s
Kennedy, William C. 1889, 1892 Paisley nr. Glasgow
Keough, Francis 1865-71, 1885-99 Wellington/Dundas
Keough, William 1889, 1892 Wellington
King, William 1861
Kitts, John 1873 bds. Great Western
Langdale, George 1894-96 280 Suffolk
Laurence, Morris 1861
Lawrence, William 1861, 1868, 1870, 1881 Neeve St.
Leonard, Edmund 1873 bds. Harp of Erin
Liddell, James 1897-99 Kathleen
Liderman, Dan 1846-52
Livy, Barton 1882-83 bds. 15 Macdonell
Lloyd, Charles 1882-83 bds. Edwin/Fergus
Lynch, John Owen 1827-1859 Gordon
Lyons, John 1861
McAdam, William 1856 Mill Block
McCandless, William 1868-70, 1881 Oxford
McCarty, James 1856 Wyndham
McClaggin, Charles 1875-77 bds. 10 Clark
McClunie, John 1897-99 Grange
McConnell, John 1867, 1873, 1875-99 82 Dublin
McCrae, Alex 1873 bds. Mill
McCullough, Charles 1870 at Coffee’s
McCullough, Harvey 1882-1889,1892-99 Mitchell; Oliver/Queen; Neeve
McDaide, W. 1875-77 bds. Durham
McDonald, Alex 1881,1889-99 Elizabeth/Norris; Quebec; Grove
McDonald, Charles 1867
McEwan, George 1881
McGarvey, Peter 1870 J.W.B.Kelly
McGarr, James 1828, 1832
McHardy, Andrew 1885, 1889, 1892 bds. Waterloo Ave.
McIntosh, Thomas 1875-7, 1882-99 American Hotel; Reynolds Hotel; Queen McKague, Edward 1885-86 bds. Cambridge
Mckenzie, Duncan 1871-99 bds. Cardigan St; American Hotel; New American Hotel; Charles
Mckenzie, Murdock 1875-7,1882-84 American Hotel; Suffolk; Cork nr. Norfolk
Mckenzie, Roderick 1892-99 79 London; Edwin
Mclean, Donald 1864 at Simpson’s
McMahon, John 1875-77 40 Glasgow
McVicker, Charle 1864 at Thomas Robinson’s
Madder, David 1861 Coffee’s Hotel
Marshall, Thomas 1861
Matthews, Thomas 1881-99 201 Waterloo; American Hotel London Rd.
Maville, Mark 1861
Mickie(us) 1889 Jane
Miller, David 1870 at Coffee’s
Miller, John 1856
Miller, William 1862 at Anderson’s
Mitchell, David 1861 at Mitchell’s
Morrish, Henry 1864 at W. Sallow’s
Morrison, Abraham 1864 Galt St.
Mosley, Samuel J. 1881 at Home
Nesslen, Louis 1875-6, 1889 bds. 21 Perth; 201 Waterloo
Oaks, George 1864 at W. Sallow’s
O’Connell, Felix 1897-99 71 Metcalf
O’Connor, Bart. 1889-99 70 Essex
O’Donnell, Martin 1892 Alice
O’Rourke, Thomas 1889
Parker, Robert 1870 23 Queen
Paulin, 1882-83 bds. Norwich
Payne, W.F. 1889, 1892-94 Stewart
Pembelton, John 1892 London
Perry, James 1873 bds. Perth
Phillips, Robert 1885-86
Phipps, Thomas 1894-99 Eramosa; Delhi
Pinder, Charles 1861 at Sallow’s
Pirie, James 1861
Platt, Charles 1870 Coffee’s Hotel
Playter, William 1885-86, 1889, 1894-97 Queen & Norwich; 65 Norfolk; Edwin
Ramsbottom, James 1892-94 22 Mill
Ramsey, Robert 1873 bds. Edwin
Ray, John 1870
Reason, Robert 1864 Carmady’s house
Reid, Robert B. 1894-99 Glasgow
Reid, Thomas 1870
Renton, George 1852-56, 1861, 1870 634 Paisley
Renton, James 1861
Ritchie, John 1875-77 bds. 59 George
Robertson, Alex 1882-3, 1892-99 Woolwich; Charles; King
Robertson, John 1889, 1897-99 Victoria Hotel
Robertson, William 1882-86 bds. Eramosa rd.
Robinson, John 1889-96 Victoria Hotel
Robinson, Thomas 1861-65 Coffee’s Hotel
Robinson, Walter 1889 bds. 39 Ontario
Rodgers, George 1864 at Coffee’s
Rogers, Edward 1870
Roofs, Mark 1865 at Simpson’s
Ross, John 1894-96
Runstedtler, Louis 1897-99 Elizabeth
Sallows, David 1871-190 Wellington
Sallows, George 1861-1871 Wellington
Sallows, Henry 1867-1904 Wellington
Sallows, William 1832-1895 Wellington
Sallows, John 1839
Seville, Thomas 1865 at Coffee’s
Sheedy, Matthew 1894-96 Glasgow
Sherlock, Robert 1892 Alice
Sherratt, Archibald 1889, 1892 bds. ss Palmer
Simpson, Allan 1852-56, 1861, 1870-86 56 Cork
Simpson, James 1861 at A. Simpson’s
Simpson, William 1881 at A. Simpson’s
Slater, John 1873-1889 bds. Dundas; Suffolk
Spaldings, John Jr. 1881 at Dad’s home
Spears, John 1875-77 bds. Kent
Steel, George 1864 at T. Anderson’s
Steele, Henry 1865 at George Bruce
Steele, William J. 1875-84 51 Arthur
Stiffler, Alexander 1873 bds. Harp of Erin
Strape, Martin 1855-56 Yarmouth
Sullivan, Patrick 1870 Inkerman
Sully, John 1852-56, 1861, 1870 Norfolk
Sunley, John 1882-86 bds. Hewer’s Hotel
Sype, Henry 1861 at Coffee’s Hotel
Tawson, Christen 1881
Thain, John 1881 at Dad’s
Thompson, William 1870
Tobin, James 1873 bds. Essex
Trainor, Cornelius 1865 McTague
Tring, John 1873 Victoria Hotel
Vance, John 1881
Verney, John B. 1875-77 bds. 64 Woolwich
Vernon, Charles 1885-86
Wade, Benjamin 1870 Coffee’s Hotel
Wallace, Stephen 1862 At Anderson’s
Watson, Alfred 1852-55 Norfolk
Watt, Andrew 1870 at Matthew’s House
Webb, Robert 1892 Manitoba
Welch, John F. 1894-99 Commercial Hotel; Fergus
Weston, Stephen 1861
White, James 1867
Wickham, Thomas 1894-99 49 Woolwich
Wilson, George R. 1885-99 Toronto
Wiley, John B. 1861
Wingfield, William 1882-83 bds. 15 MacDonell
Wirton, Stephen 1861
Younger, James 1897-99 88 Waterloo
Younger, Rolf 1860









