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 American Silver before sterling
 Henry Fordham silversmith in Cairo VA/ WV
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| Author | Topic: Henry Fordham silversmith in Cairo VA/ WV |
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dsix Posts: 13 |
posted 03-16-2006 11:05 AM
  
Greetings, My interest in silver has boomed [recently] and, being a crazed local history buff, I've now a serious silver question: In the local county history (History of Ritchie Co., Lowetner. 1911) and within the chapter on my hometown of Cairo a pasage is boldly titled THE FIRST SILVERSMITH. I might add he was also the last. But here it is, edited: "Henry Fordham was the first silversmith in the town.He wa botn in Yorkshire, Eng., on September 7,1817, and grew to manhood and learned the watch and clock-makers trade in his father's shop. IN 1851 he married Miss ___ Mitchell and in 1851 they embarked to America, landing in Baltimore... then came to this county... to Cairo in 1858, where he continued to work at his trade untuil his death in 1887." There is more, largely accoutning for his children, various wives, etc. I am much intrigued by the presence of a silversmith in my small hometown a centy and half ago. Can anyone direct me to any info on Fordham? Any of the "Virginia" sivler students have material to this chap as it we were yet Va when he began in 1858? thanks for any answers or suggestions d IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 03-16-2006 11:15 AM
He is not listed in Cutten's Silversmiths of Virginia nor, for that matter is the town of Cairo. IP: Logged |
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Tad Hale Posts: 120 |
posted 03-16-2006 11:28 AM
It appears he was more of a Watch and Clockmaker (as were quite a few silversmiths) and he worked there until his death in 1887. His son was also in the watch and clock repairing business. IP: Logged |
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t-man-nc Posts: 327 |
posted 03-16-2006 11:37 AM
Prior to the Civil War 1861 thru 1865, I thought but may be wrong,that West Virginia really was not a state... Can someone with more local knowledge of how Virginia and West Virginia split and how it would affect the attribution of which state a silversmith might be attributed, offer some insight...? "Smaug" IP: Logged |
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bascall Posts: 1629 |
posted 01-30-2008 05:38 PM
Just to put things in perspective, West Virginia was admitted to the Union on 20 June 1863. Henry Fordham is recorded in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England working as a watchmaker in 1851. In the 1860 U. S. Federal Census he is farming in Grant County, Virginia. In 1870 he is a watchmaker in Cairo as mentioned and 1880 likewise. His father's name was Thomas Brett Fordham; and his first wife was Sarah Mitchell, his second wife was Hannah Mitchell and his third wife who was from Carol County, MD was Barbara Ellen Gittier. More to follow, maybe. IP: Logged |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 01-30-2008 07:53 PM
Enter west virginia history as a search on the internet and a number of sites come up. In these there is a good chronology of what happened to Eastern Virginia versus the Western half to cause a split. IP: Logged |
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