John Moody, 1776-1779. Smith and farrier, from Philadelphia by way of Norfolk, advertised his shop near the church in 1776. Was paid on several occasions for shoeing horses, but little more is known of him before his death in 1779.
Hugh Orr, 1738-1764. Captain Orr called himself both blacksmith and “hammer man,” and settled in Williamsburg by 1738. His house and smithy were on Duke of Gloucester Street. He may have acted as farrier, and either he or a slave trained to do so performed phlebotomy—bleeding. He served as armorer for the colony for three years and may have been an officer in the Williamsburg militia. He is buried in Bruton churchyard.
Thomas Pate, 1760-1814. Did blacksmith work for John Custis and Lord Botetourt among others, and repaired arms for Virginia troops during the Revolution. The location of his shop is not known, but his purchase of more than 3,000 pounds of bar iron from Robert Carter in 1773 alone indicates a lively trade.
William Willis (or Willess), 1768-1770. Came from Birmingham and opened his gunsmith and blacksmith shop “near the playhouse” and “below the Capitol,” but soon moved to Norfolk.
Suggestions for Further Reading
Alex W. Bealer, The Art of Blacksmithing. rev. ed. New York, Funk and Wagnalls, 1976.
Garry Hogg, Hammer & Tongs: Blacksmithery Down the Ages. London, Hutchinson Co., 1964.
J. G. Holmstrom, Modern Blacksmithing and Horseshoeing. Chicago, F. J. Drake & Co., 1941.
John Jernberg, Forging: Manual of Practical Instruction in Hand Forging of Wrought Iron.... Chicago, American Technical Society, 1917.
William Allyn Richards, Forging of Iron and Steel. New York, D. Van Nostrand Co., 1915.