"Ruardean, where 67 of the 187 families resident in 1831 depended chiefly on trades or crafts and 60 on agriculture, was generally impoverished in the 19th century and the early 20th. Few professional people apart from a surgeon at Bishopswood in 1851 and another in the village in 1876 lived there. In the mid 19th century building trades and haulage provided some employment. The village had several shops, mostly grocery and drapery stores, and in the later 19th century outlying places such as Waterscross and the Morse also had shops. The Cinderford co-operative society had opened branches at the Morse and in the village by 1894 and 1906 respectively. In the 1920s and 1930s many traditional trades and crafts disappeared. One of the last blacksmiths worked a smithy, built by the Lydbrook-Ross road in the mid 19th century (fn. 85) and occupied by a joiner and furniture maker in 1990. A bacon-curing factory in the centre of Ruardean closed in 1928, and the parish, which continued to depend heavily on the mining industry, suffered much unemployment in the early 1930s. Mining jobs were lost with the gradual cessation of deep mining in the Forest coalfield, completed in 1965. In 1990 the village had half a dozen small shops."

From: 'Ruardean', A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5: Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean (1996), pp. 231-247.
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23261&strquery=smithy Date accessed: 06 January 2012.

The relevant Footnote 85 states Public Record Office, MR 129; F 17/7. (?)

It's possible there is an old photo of the smithy in one of Humphrey Phelps' books, albeit not in "The Second Selection" which I've just checked; I really do need to write an index for this otherwise excellent series !

(ps sorry I couldnt highlight in "bold" the relevant line, I seem to have broken this part of the "reply" page !)

PPS Have you looked up the various Trade Directories online, such as from
http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/b1.asp
Be "gentle" searching though, like many search engines this site's doesn't like getting too much info in one hit !

PPPS Searching the National Archives and Gloucestershire Archives sites for "Ruardean blacksmith" etc only seems to produce these much earlier references.

Ref D1677/GG/1017
26 February, 1 James II
Counterpart of lease for 3 lives at £5. a year.
1. HENRY BENEDICT HALL of High Meadow, esq.
2. HENRY WALDEN of Ruardean, blacksmith
Messuage called the Smith's Forge in Ruardean, and garden (¼ a.) and land (2a. field names).
Date 1685

Ref D1677/GG/593

26 Feb., 1 Jas. II
Lease by HENRY BENEDICT HALL of Highmeadow [...] to, esq., to HENRY WALDEN of Ruardeane, blacksmith, of a messuage called the Smith's forge in Ruardene, bounded by the highway from Ruardene church to Windrell's Well, S. and by a house and land of the said H, B, Hall in the possession of William Matloe and the Synderhill there, W. Signature, Hen. Ben. Hall.

Both these documents are held at Gloucestershire Archives.

http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=040-d1677_1&cid=1-292#1-292

National Archives:

Supposedly born Bridstow, Herefordshire (1851 census).

Married 14 Dec 1834 at Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire, to Esther or Hester HARRIS, who was born in Much Dewchurch, Herefordshire.

Early children bapt at Ross on Wye, but at Ruardean from c.1840 to his death.

At least 5 sons (four of them blacksmiths) and two daughters. Children's birthplaces in censuses are not always consistent but include Batts Garden; Hom Green near Ross; and Whitchurch.

Any information about James's origins, or the smithys that he worked at?

I feel a trip into the FOD coming on, so roll on the spring or at least better weather.

Thanks again to all of you

James Kimpton

JAMES COX
-----------------------------------------------
Marriages:
Spouse: ESTHER HARRIS
Marriage: 14 DEC 1834 Ewyas Harold, Hereford, England
-------------------------------------------------------------
Messages:
Extracted marriage record for locality listed in the record.
The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the marriage date.
------------------------------
Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
M138831 1735 - 1885 1040198 Film NONE
Sheet: 00

then we aim at the Ross-Hereford road !....

1861
James Cox abt 1807 Bridstow, Herefordshire, England Head Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Hester Cox abt 1805 Much Dewchurch, Herefordshire, England Wife Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Henry Cox abt 1844 Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England Son Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Mary E Cox abt 1841 Horngreen, Herefordshire, England Daughter Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Susan Cox abt 1842 Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Tom Cox abt 1845 Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England Son Ruardean, Gloucestershire

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HEF/Bridstow/index.html
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HEF/MuchDewchurch/index.html

However, from the same site, it appears that a James Cox was baptised at Tirley on 25 Sept 1809. This does not appear on any Tirley records as yet. Maybe they are still being transcribed.

Thank you for all your assistance

James Kimpton

Thankyou so much for your speedy reply. It would seem that James Cox (1783) had a son James (1807) who married one Hester. They also had a son James born on the 19th March 1837 Exactly 100yrs before I appeared on the scene......

The 1851 census is the only to which I do not have access so I am very grateful for your reply

The search continues but at least I have more information to hand. I am so pleased to have come across your site, thankyou to all those concerned and can I wish you all a very happy and peaceful 2009.

James Kimpton

Year: 1837
Month: Mar
Day: 19
Parents_Surname: COX
Child_Forenames: James
Fathers_Forenames: James
Mothers_Forenames: Esther
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Hom Green
Occupation: Blacksmith
Officiating_Minister: Tho[ma]s Shepherd Curate
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: Son of
Notes:
Register_Reference: AG39/5
Page_Number: 32
Parish_Chapel: Ross on Wye

1841 Hystreet (!)
James Cox abt 1808 Ruardean, Gloucestershire Blacksmith
Ester Cox abt 1804 Ruardean, Gloucestershire
James Cox abt 1837 Ruardean, Gloucestershire
John Cox abt 1839 Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Mary Cox abt 1840 Ruardean, Gloucestershire
William Cox abt 1836 Ruardean, Gloucestershire

1851
James Cox abt 1808 Burston, Herefordshire, England Head Ruardean, Gloucestershire Blacksmith
Hester Cox abt 1805 Dunchurch, Herefordshire, England Wife Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Henry Cox abt 1844 Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England Son Ruardean, Gloucestershire
James Cox abt 1837 Ross, Herefordshire, England Son Ruardean, Gloucestershire
John Cox abt 1840 Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England Son Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Mary Cox abt 1841 Ross, Herefordshire, England Daughter Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Tom Cox abt 1846 Whitchurch, Herefordshire, England Son Ruardean, Gloucestershire
William Cox abt 1836 Ross, Herefordshire, England Son Ruardean, Gloucestershire

Year: 1861
Month: Feb
Day: 2
Grooms_Surname: COX
Grooms_Forenames: William
Grooms_Age: 25
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Blacksmith
Grooms_Residence: Lydbrook
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Cox
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: James
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Blacksmith

Brides_Surname: WHETSTONE
Brides_Forenames: Mary Ann
Brides_Age: 20
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence:
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Whetstone
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Stephen
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Collier
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: He Sign She Mark
Witness_1: James Whetstone
Witness_2: Lucy Cox
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Henry G. Nicholls
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes: No residence for Bride
Register_Reference: P109 IN 1/6
Page_Number: 135
Parish_Chapel: Drybrook

1861
William Cox abt 1836 Ross, Herefordshire, England Head Ruardean, Gloucestershire
Maria Cox abt 1841 E Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife Ruardean, Gloucestershire

William's father was one JAMES COX and his mothers forename is ESTHER. From another genealogy site, it is suggested that James was born c.1783 in Tirely, probably Tirley, and he married Esther in 1807, again in Tirley. Searching through your records, I can find no trace and wondered whether one of your readers may have further information. They might even be related, albeit a long way back.

I would be very grateful for any info which could kickstart my research again.

James Kimpton