During our working days at the museum, we have recently been going through a lot of photos.  Some which have been bequeathed to us and some we are scanning for our new Touch Screen.  Two we have just come across are of Ginns, the blacksmith, in High Street South. 

The business was started by Samuel Tirrell about 1830, his first son, Samuel, was born at the smithy in 1832.  In 1870 the business was taken over by Adam Tirrell Ginns, and the smithy was rebuilt further back from the road.  His son William Norwood Ginns, eventually joined him in the business. 

The property was part of the Rushden Hall Estate and when the Rushden Urban District Council purchased the Hall and Grounds to create a public park, the properties were put up for sale, and William Norwood Ginns purchased No. 8 by a mortgage on the 8 February 1930.

In the sale catalogue the cottages are described as :- Three Substantial Stone Built and Tiled Cottages with Blacksmith’s Shop being Nos. 4, 6, and 8, High Street South, Rushden.  No. 8 has 6 rooms.  The Blacksmith’s Shop has a workshop fitted with a forge, store and shoeing shed with loft over.  The outbuildings comprise Washhouse and W.C., and there is also a garden.

The above are let to Mr. H. Bozet, Mrs. Bailey, and Mr. W. N. Ginns, on weekly tenancies at a gross rental of £42 11s. 4d.

The small garden at the rear is let to Mr. H. Skinner on a half-yearly tenancy at apportioned rent of 10s. per annum.

In July 1955 the Rushden Echo printed a ‘Spotlight on Rushden’ series and featured the blacksmith, stating that ‘although heavy lorries rumble by outside, horses still come to be shod as they did in the coaching days, and there is a brisk demand for agricultural work.’  Mrs. M. A. Ginns carried on the business and in the picture below Jimmy Guinee is busy on a shoeing job.  Jimmy was one of the expert blacksmiths who came to carry on the business in 1950 after William Norwood Ginns died.  Jimmy left in 1972 and the premises were sold.

The buildings were demolished in 1975 and a block of flats now stands on the site.