Still make their own shoes
Mr R Caswell of Badsey, near Evesham, learned to nail on horses’ shoes (in his father’s business) while still at school, and was frequently left to get on with the job by himself.
Mr Caswell, and his second son David, often shoe as many as 11 horses a day, and although ready-made shoes can be bought, the Caswells refuse to debase their craft and still make their own shoes.
He is also a craftsman in wrought iron, and has made many examples of chandeliers and gates, with tools which he has created himself.
The unusual lamp standards on the village church lych gate, in the form of groups of shepherds’ crooks, were his work.
A 200-year history
Mr Bertram Jones, aged 77, also of Badsey, can trace his family’s association with ivory craftsmanship back over 200 years.
He has now retired, but among much beautiful work, he has made some delightful ivory chessmen and ornamental turners who have seen them consider it remarkable that he has been able to make such masterpieces with a small plain lathe.
He has made razor-edged tools from old files, and cuts all screws by hand, not having a screw-cutting machine.
In his early days, he made shaving brush handles in bone, for 7s 6d a gross, and bread-knife handles of boxwood at 2s 3d a gross at the rate of three gross a day.
In 1929, against numerous competitors, he took second prize working in ivory, at the annual competition in turnery at the Mansion House, London, which was promoted by the Worshipful Company of Turners.