The north Worcestershire scythe industry
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Published
Nov 12, 2021
Abstract
North Worcestershire, as a centre of scythe manufacture, is placed here in the national context of the industry. The distribution of blade mills in the north Worcestershire scythe district refl ects that of the scythesmiths, whose products they sharpened. Blade mills in Chaddesley Corbett can be traced back to the 15th century, and one in Halesowen (perhaps not for scythes) to 1312.The fabrication of scythes was long a manual trade, with water power only used for the final stage, sharpening the blade. However, from the late 18th century, water-powered plating forges began to be used to form the scythe blade.
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References
Booth D T N 1985, ‘Watermills and water-powered works on the River Stour, Worcs and Staffs: 4 Halesowen’ Wind and Water Mills 6, 34–41.
Booth T and Jones M 2007, ‘Galton’s Mill, Belbroughton, Worcestershire’ Wind and Water Mills 26, 2–31.
Briggs J and Tucker G 1980, ‘The mills and watercourses of the Belne Brook: an introduction to the 1945 script of the late H E S Simmons’ Wind and Water Mills 1, 30–34.
Broome Estate 1918: Edwards, Son & Bigwood, (particulars for) The Broome and Hurcott Estates, Auction sale July 30, 1918 (copy in author’s collection).
Cooksley S M & M V 1986, ‘Watermills and water-powered works on the River Stour, Worcs and Staffs: 5 Smestow Brook’ Wind and Water Mills 7, 11–23.
Crompton J (ed) 1991, Industrial archaeology of the West Midlands (Association for Industrial Archaeology).
Dilworth D 1976, The Tame mills of Staffordshire (Chichester).
Flinn M W 1962, Men of iron: The Crowleys in the early iron industry (Edinburgh).
Gale W K V 1981, ‘Griffin to Griffin in 200 years’ The Blackcountryman 14(1), 48–51.
Gwilliam H W 1981a, ‘More mills on the Belne Brook’ Wind and Water Mills 2, 2–5.
Gwilliam H W 1981b, ‘Mills and forges on the Wannerton Brook in north Worcestershire’ ibid., 20–31.
Hinton M and Spier A (eds) 1985, Belbroughton miscellany (Belbroughton, Worcs).
HOW 2004: History of Wollaston (Group), A history of Wollaston (Stourbridge).
King P W 2006, ‘Perry Barr and its water mills’ Transactions of the Staffordshire Archaeological & Historical Society 41, 65–78.
Pagett T et al 1993, Water mill sites in north Worcestershire (Hagley, Worcs).
Roper J S 1966, ‘Stourbridge Wills’ (TS in WRO, History Centre).
Roper J S 1968, Belbroughton, Worcestershire: a selection of wills and inventories (Dudley).
Rostron P 1979, ‘M. & W. Grazebrook’s Netherton Works: a profile’ The Blackcountryman 12(2), 47–50.
Simmons H E S 1980, ‘Water Mills and Forges on the Belne Brook’ Wind and Water Mills 1, 34–44.
Tucker G 1985, ‘Watermills and water-powered works on the river Stour: 3 Stourbridge, Lye and Cradley’ Wind and Water Mills 6, 6–10.
Worcester Canal Map: Plan of the several streams liable to be intercepted or diminished by the intended Worcester Canal, describing the situation of the various mills and works on the line of the
intended canal across them ([1786]: copy at WRO, BA 2636/152. 47990/9). For this unsuccessful canal proposal, see Rev A White, The Worcester and Birmingham Canal: chronicles of the cuts (Studley, Warks. 2005), 1–10.
Booth T and Jones M 2007, ‘Galton’s Mill, Belbroughton, Worcestershire’ Wind and Water Mills 26, 2–31.
Briggs J and Tucker G 1980, ‘The mills and watercourses of the Belne Brook: an introduction to the 1945 script of the late H E S Simmons’ Wind and Water Mills 1, 30–34.
Broome Estate 1918: Edwards, Son & Bigwood, (particulars for) The Broome and Hurcott Estates, Auction sale July 30, 1918 (copy in author’s collection).
Cooksley S M & M V 1986, ‘Watermills and water-powered works on the River Stour, Worcs and Staffs: 5 Smestow Brook’ Wind and Water Mills 7, 11–23.
Crompton J (ed) 1991, Industrial archaeology of the West Midlands (Association for Industrial Archaeology).
Dilworth D 1976, The Tame mills of Staffordshire (Chichester).
Flinn M W 1962, Men of iron: The Crowleys in the early iron industry (Edinburgh).
Gale W K V 1981, ‘Griffin to Griffin in 200 years’ The Blackcountryman 14(1), 48–51.
Gwilliam H W 1981a, ‘More mills on the Belne Brook’ Wind and Water Mills 2, 2–5.
Gwilliam H W 1981b, ‘Mills and forges on the Wannerton Brook in north Worcestershire’ ibid., 20–31.
Hinton M and Spier A (eds) 1985, Belbroughton miscellany (Belbroughton, Worcs).
HOW 2004: History of Wollaston (Group), A history of Wollaston (Stourbridge).
King P W 2006, ‘Perry Barr and its water mills’ Transactions of the Staffordshire Archaeological & Historical Society 41, 65–78.
Pagett T et al 1993, Water mill sites in north Worcestershire (Hagley, Worcs).
Roper J S 1966, ‘Stourbridge Wills’ (TS in WRO, History Centre).
Roper J S 1968, Belbroughton, Worcestershire: a selection of wills and inventories (Dudley).
Rostron P 1979, ‘M. & W. Grazebrook’s Netherton Works: a profile’ The Blackcountryman 12(2), 47–50.
Simmons H E S 1980, ‘Water Mills and Forges on the Belne Brook’ Wind and Water Mills 1, 34–44.
Tucker G 1985, ‘Watermills and water-powered works on the river Stour: 3 Stourbridge, Lye and Cradley’ Wind and Water Mills 6, 6–10.
Worcester Canal Map: Plan of the several streams liable to be intercepted or diminished by the intended Worcester Canal, describing the situation of the various mills and works on the line of the
intended canal across them ([1786]: copy at WRO, BA 2636/152. 47990/9). For this unsuccessful canal proposal, see Rev A White, The Worcester and Birmingham Canal: chronicles of the cuts (Studley, Warks. 2005), 1–10.
How to Cite
The north Worcestershire scythe industry. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 41(2), 124-147. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/215
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How to Cite
The north Worcestershire scythe industry. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 41(2), 124-147. https://www.hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/215