Meaning
A worker who made nails by hand from iron rod.
Description
Nailers worked in small workshops or at home forges, heating iron rod and hammering it into nails of various sizes. The trade was concentrated in the Black Country of the West Midlands, particularly around Dudley, Halesowen and the surrounding villages. Nail making was a family trade and children worked alongside parents from an early age. The work was poorly paid and the hours long. The introduction of machine-made nails in the mid-19th century destroyed the handmade nail trade and caused great hardship in nailing communities.
Also Known As
Nail Maker, Nail Smith
Commonly Found In
- Census Returns
- Parish Registers
- Poor Law Records
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