Blacksmiths
- 1911: William COOPER, age 28, Blacksmith
- 1911: Frederick HARDY, age 40, Blacksmith Shoeing and Jobbing
- 1911: Leonard HARDY, age 15, Blacksmith Shoeing and Jobbing
The following research on Blacksmiths who have worked at West Lulworth has been provided courtesy of Richard Smith
John BAKER was baptised at West Lulworth on 30 July 1797 son of William, a seaman, and his wife Ann BAKER nee SLAUGHTER who had married at West Lulworth on 18 January 1790. John married Rebecca FOOKS at East Lulworth on 2 May 1825 but Rebecca died and was buried there on 28 January 1841. He was recorded as a blacksmith at West Lulworth from 1841 to 1851 but had retired by 1861. No death record was found.
James BAKER was baptised at East Lulworth on 12 February 1826 son of John and Rebecca BAKER above. He was a blacksmith with his father in 1841 aged 15, continuing to 1861 before he married Elizabeth DOREY at West Lulworth on 27 November 1862. He was still working as a blacksmith at West Lulworth in 1871, but Elizabeth died and was buried on 12 February 1879, and in 1881 James was working as a farm labourer. I think he died registered at Wareham in March 1886.
William BASTABLE was listed as a blacksmith at West Lulworth in the trade directory index 1895 and 1899 but I could not pin down his background details.
William COOPER was born at Martock, Somerset on 3 March 1883 son of George, a groom, and his wife Emma COOPER nee MATTOCK. He was a blacksmith working at Taunton, Somerset in 1901 before he married Beatrice Annie WELLER at Fordington, Dorchester on 26 July 1905, but Beatrice died in December 1908. He then married Alice Louisa MORRIS at West Lulworth on 21 March 1910 and worked as a blacksmith at West Lulworth in 1911. By 1921 he was working at H.M. Dockyard at Chatham, Kent, and at Maidstone, Kent in 1939. He died and was buried at West Lulworth on 15 August 1947.
Frederick COX was baptised at Winfrith Newburgh on 4 August 1844 son of George, a blacksmith, and his wife Jane Vey COX nee WILLIS. In 1861 he was living at home working with his father as a blacksmith at Winfrith before he married Elizabeth Ann BURT there on 12 June 1867. By 1871 he was a blacksmith at West Lulworth through to 1875 but by 1881 and 1891 was working at Amesbury, Wiltshire. He had retired by 1901 and was living at Longfleet, Poole where he died on 31 March 1913.
Thomas DOREY was baptised at West Lulworth on 19 October 1828 son of William, a farmer, and his wife Jane DOREY nee VEY. He is living at home in 1851, but no occupation quoted, but is recorded as a blacksmith at West Lulworth in trade directory for 1855. He married Ann Winzar ROE at West Lulworth on 31 December 1855 but is then missing in 1861 and 1871. I think he died and was buried at West Lulworth on 20 August 1879.
Thomas FOOKS was recorded as a blacksmith at West Lulworth in the Dorset Militia list of 1798. I think he was baptised there on 21 August 1757 son of Thomas and Elizabeth FOOKS, but I failed to find a death record at Lulworth.
James Frederick HARDY known as Frederick was born at Bere Regis on 25 February 1870 son of Joseph and Elizabeth Mary HARDY nee LEGG. He married Eliza Charlotte PARKER at Wareham in April 1890 and was recorded as a blacksmith in 1891 at Bitterne, Hampshire. By 1901 the family had moved to West Lulworth where Frederick was a blacksmith in 1901 and 1911 but Eliza died in October 1915. Frederick then married Amy Ellen RICHARDS at West Lulworth on 18 December 1916. Frederick continued working as a blacksmith to at least 1939. He died at West Lulworth on 27th November 1951.
John HOOKEY was born at Briantspuddle but baptised at Affpuddle on 25 November 1821 son of Joseph, a farm labourer, and his wife Elizabeth HOOKEY nee SQUIBB. He married Martha CLARK at Affpuddle on 7 May 1845 but she died in 1865 and he then married Sarah PURCHASE at Affpuddle on 10 May 1868. In 1871 John was a blacksmith at Affpuddle, and then at West Lulworth from 1880 to 1885, but by 1890 he was a coal merchant and farmer. He died and was buried at West Lulworth on 30 April 1897.
Robert Phineas JAMES was born at Bere Regis on 24 October 1876 son of John, a dairyman, and his wife Elizabeth JAMES nee RIGGS. In 1891 he was at home at Coombe Keynes working as a farm labourer, then as a blacksmith at West Lulworth in 1901 with Frederick HARDY, but in 1911 was a farmer carter. Is back working as a blacksmith for Frederick HARDY in 1921, and his wife Elizabeth died at West Lulworth on 5 March 1939. He was then a blacksmith at West Lulworth in the 1939 census, and his death was registered at Exeter, Devon in September 1954.
Thomas KNIGHT was recorded in baptism records at West Lulworth in February 1835. I think he was baptised at Blandford in 1806 and married Ann LACY there on 2 September 1827. He is missing in 1841, but is a blacksmith then working at Canford, Bournemouth in 1851, Parkstone in 1861 and Christchurch in 1871. I think that he died at Christchurch about September 1884.
William John RICKETTS was born at Wool about 1831 and baptised there on 12 May 1833 son of John and Jane RICKETTS. He was a blacksmith aged 20 at Wool in 1851, then at West Lulworth in 1861 before he married Jane VYE at Portsea, Hampshire on 9 February 1864. He was then a blacksmith at Harewood, Yorkshire in 1871, but died of perotinitis at Freshwater, Isle of Wight on 29 June 1877 aged 45.
Henry SCUTT was born at Chute Forest, Wiltshire in 1862 son of George Robert, a farm bailiff, and his wife Mary Grant SCUTT nee CHILCOTT. In 1881 he was living at home as a blacksmith’s apprentice, then in 1891 working as a blacksmith at West Lulworth, after he had married Jane CHILCOTT at Charlton Marshall on 8th July 1889. In 1901 he was a blacksmith at Tarrant Monkton, and in 1911 and 1921 at Charlton, near Malmesbury, Wiltshire. His death was registered at Chippenham, Wiltshire in October 1938.
Edward William WILLS is listed in the 1881 census as a blacksmith’s apprentice to John HOOKEY above aged 17, and I think was born late in 1868 at Weymouth, but I could find no further records or a death for him.
Joseph WILSON was baptised at East Lulworth on 16 March 1823 son of John, a labourer, and his wife Elizabeth WILSON nee ALLEN. He was a journeyman blacksmith for John BAKER above in 1841 before he married Emma GALLEY at East Lulworth on 15 April 1843 when he was working as a blacksmith, but by 1851 he was a farm or general labourer through until he died in April 1886.
Richard Smith, 21 September 2026
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Page last updated: 21 September 2026