The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1873-12-04
Whence Game They ?

Whence Came They
BY SAMUEL MASON.
"FrOm whence came smiths, all be Knight or
But from the smith that forgeth in the ass."
The "Smiths" in days long past, were
mighty men, and very important persona
ges, whom kings took with them on their
Journeyings, as we may see when the
King of Judah left Jerusalem, 500 years
before Christ, he carried away with him
all the ''smiths, - e. kings, "a, I4) When
| William, the Norman, invaded Britain,
he was well supplied with Smiths" and
Edward the Third of England. we find
him repeatedly sending for "smiths" from
the Forest of Dean TO act as engineers for
the royal army at the siege of Berwick.
1t will be safe then, to conclude that the
smiths" in the earliest days were very
important personages, and 1t will be read
| lily understood how, at the time when sur
names were adopted, his name should
have been so common IN all European
countries. Hence the muItitudious fami-
| ly of hsmiths" in Epgland, In some cases
Yainly disguised uuaer the "smythe," or
ode smythe ;" IN Germany, the ''schmidts -
in Italy, the fabri, fabricii, or fabbroni in
France, le febrss or lefevres; in Scotland,
the COWS, gowans. There is also the
| brownsmith, or makers Of brown bills
the nasmyths, or nail-smiths, the arrow
smiths, or makers of arrow heads the
| spear-smIths, or spear makers; the shoe
smiths, or horse shoeIs =; the gold smiths,
! or workers IN gold, and many more. The
"smiths" proper, was, however, the worker
in iron-the maker of iron tools, imple-
ments and arms-and hence this many
exceeds In number that OF all the others
combined.
In the course of time the "smlths" of
particular districts began to distinguish
themselves for their excellence in particu-
lar branches Of iron work. From being
merely the retainer of some lordly or re-
hgious establishment, the smiths worked
to supply the general demand and gradu-
ally became a manufacturer. Thus the
makers of swords, tools, bits, and nails,
congregated at Birmingham, and the ma
kers of knives and arrow-heads at Shelf
field. Caaucer speaks of the miller of
Trompington as provided with a Sheffield
Whittle,
"a Shefeld throyted bare in his hose"
The common English arrow-heads man
ufactured at Sheffield were long celebrated
for their excellent temper, as Sheffield iron
and steel plates are now. The battle of
Hamilton, fought in Scotland in 1902
was won mainly through their excellence
The historian records that they penetra-
ted the armor of the Earl of Douglas,
which had been three years in making,
and they were $50 sharp, ana strong that
no armor could repel them" The same
arrow-heads were found equally efficient
against French armor on the fields of
Crecy and Agincourt.
Although Scotland is now one of the
principle sources from which supplies of
iron are drawn, it was in ancient times
greatly distressed for want of the metal
The Ieople were as ct too little skilled to
be able to turn their great mineral wealth
to account. Even In the time of Wallace
they had scarcely emerged from the stone
period and were under the necessity of re-
sisting their iron armed English adversa-
ries BY means of rude weapons of that
material. To supply themselves with
swords and spear-heads they imported
steel from Flanders, and the rest they OBJ
tanned by marauding incuTsions into Eng
land The district of Furness in Lam
cashire-then, as now, an iron producing
district-Ras frequently raYaged with
that object, and on such occasions the
Scotch seized and carried off all the man
ufactured iron they could find. preferrtng
it though SO heavy, to every other kind Of
plunder. About the same period, howev-
er, IRON must have been regarded as al
most precious metal, even in England
itself, for we find that, IN Edward the
Thirds reign, the pots, spit, and frying
pans of the royal kitchen were classed
among his MAjesty's jewels.
The same famine of iron prevailed to a
still greater extent in the Highlands,
,b.,.1 Il A he
Clans lived chiefly by hunting, and were
in an almost constant state of feud; hence
the "smith" was a man of indispensable
Importance among the Highlanders, and
the possession of a skillfuI "smith" was
greatly valued by the chiefs The story
is told of some delinquency having been
committed by a Highland "smith," on
which Justice must be done, but as the
chief could not dispense with the smith"
he generously offered to hang two weaVers
in his stead.
At length great armorer arose IN the
Highlands, who was "smlth," and able
to forge armor that would resist the best
Sheffield arrow-heads, and to make swords
that would vie with the best weapons of
Toledo and Milan. This was the famous
Andrea de Ferrara, whose swords still
maintain their ancient reputation. This
''smith" is supposed to have learned his
art IN the Italian city after which he was
called, and returned to practice 1t IN seere-
cy among the Highland hills Before him,
no man in Great Britain Is said to have
known how to temper q sword IN such q
way as to bend so that the point should
touch the hilt and spring back uninjured.
Tne swords of the Scotches smith, An
/ drea de Ferrara It'd this, and were accor-
dinghy IN great request, for it was of every
| Importance to the warrior that his weapon
should be strong and sharp without being
unwleldy, and that it should not be liable
to snap IN the act Of combat. This csle-
brated smith, whose personal identity has
become merged in the Andres de Ferrara
swords OF his manufacture, pursued MS
craft IN the Highlands, where he employ
ed number of skilled workmen IN forg-
| ing weapons, devoting his own time prln-
elPaiIy to giving them their reqeired tenn
| per He is said to have worked IN dark
cellar, the better to enable him to per
ceive the effect of the heat upon the met.
al, and to watch the nicety OF the opera
ton of tempering, as well as possibly tc
serve IS soresR to hia secret 'methed o.
working:
| We conclude that the smiths of the
u
i They were the rivit that held society to-
gether nothing could be done without
them. wherever tools or Implement
were wanted for building, for trade, or fol
husbandry, his skill was called into reqgi
sition. In remote places he was after thu
sole mechanic of his district, and, besides
being 3 tool-maker, farrier and agricul
tural implement maker, he doctoFed cat
lie, drew teeth, praeticed phlsbotemy, anC
sometimes oficiated as parish clerk and
general neWs-monger, for the smithey wa
the very eye and tongue of the village
Hence Shakespeare's picture of the smitl
in King john,
ST saw a smith stand with his hammer thus,
The whilst hts iron on the anvil eools,
With open mouth swallowing atailorS news"
The smiths being thus the earliest an
most important Of mechanics, it will read
ily be understood how, at the time whe
snrnames were adopted, his name shoul
, have been so comm6h in all Europea
countries. Hence came the multitudiou
family of 4stsiiks." :"