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Henry George WESTWOOD

Henry George WESTWOOD

Male 1875 - 1964  (89 years)

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  • Name Henry George WESTWOOD 
    Birth 27 Mar 1875  St Albans, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • From 1939 register
    Gender Male 
    Census 1901  Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1911  New Marford, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 1911 census for New Marford, Wheathampstead:
      RG number: RG14 Piece: 7664 Reference: RG14PN7664 RG78PN377 RD139 SD1 ED12 SN205
      Henry George WESTWOOD, head, married, aged 37, general smith, born Wheathampstead, Herts
      Louisa Maria WESTWOOD, wife of 8 years (three children), aged 34 years, born Wheathampstead Grace Marian WESTWOOD, daughter, aged 6, school, born Wheathampstead Herts
      Grace Marian Westwood Daughter - Female 6 1905 School Wheathampstead Herts
      Alfred Henry WESTWOOD, son, aged 3, school, born Wheathampstead Herts
      Phyllis Louise WESTWOOD, daughter, aged 11 months, born Wheathampstead Herts
    Occupation 1911 
    General smith 
    Census 1921  Necton Rd, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 1921 Census for Necton Road, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England
      First name(s) Last name Rel.to head Sex Birth year Age in years Birth place Occ. Employer
      Henry George Westwood Head Male 1875 46 years 4 months Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England Blacksmith Own Account
      Louisa Maria Westwood Wife Female 1877 43 years 11 months Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England Home Duties -
      Alfred Westwood Son Male 1907 13 years 11 months Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England - -
      Dorothy Westwood Dau Female 1913 7 years 10 months Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England - -
      Cecil Westwood Son Male 1914 7 years Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England - -
      Edward Westwood Son Male 1920 1 years 4 months Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England - -
    Census 1939  16 Necton Rd, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Westwood Household (4 People)
      16 Necton* Road , St Albans R.D., Hertfordshire, England
      Henry G Westwood 27 Mar 1875 Blacksmith
      Dorothy Westwood 03 Aug 1913 Unpaid Domestic Duties
      Cecil Westwood 03 Jun 1914 Motor Works Engineer
      Edward J Westwood 20 Feb 1920 Gardener
      Ref: RG101/1666E/017/38 Letter Code: DFPI
      *Also transcribed as Necton but is Nector Rd on 1936 probate entry for Henry's wife. Is written now as Necton Rd.
    Death 8 Aug 1964  Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Probate entry.
    Probate 23 Sep 1964  Oxford, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • WESTWOOD Henry George of 16 Necton Road Wheathampstead Hertfordshire died 8 August 1964 Probate Oxford 23 September to Bernard James Turner accountant. 2547 pounds.
    Notes 
    • The following written by his son Cecil, describes Harry Westwood's life as a blacksmith carrying on the business that his father Jim had.
      http://www.wheathampstead.net/history/JimWestwood.htm

      Master Blacksmith (Harry Westwood)
      by Jim (Cecil) Westwood (post 1950)

      Jack of all trades - but master of iron - this was the village blacksmith of 50 years ago. Such a man was Harry Westwood of Wheathampstead.

      From his blacksmith's shop at the rear of the Two Brewers Inn (now the village newsagents) he hammered out shoes for cart horses, tradesmen's horses, and the gentlrmen's riding hacks. He repaired the ploughs, made hinges for the farm gates, fitted iron tryres to cart wheels and solid rubber tryres to bicycles. He hand forged implements for the farmer, casement and widow fittings for the houses. He even releathered the beer engines for the pubs. In fact he would tackle any job in the village in wood or iron. He started at six o'clock in the morning and worked until 10 o'clock at night. After a busy day at Wheathampstead smithy he would walk four miles to Kimpton in the evening to work in the little forge there.

      Harry's great love was wrought iron work, and at creating gates he was a master. Here the solid country craftsman became an artist in iron. Every part of his gates were hand forged - a virgin bar of iron was plunged into the red hot fire. Then on the anvil Harry hammered and sculptured his forging - With a strong arm, a quick eye and a soul, he wrought from the iron design and beauty.

      Each forging was then passed to his son Alf for fitting by rivets to the frame and slowly the delicate tracery of the gates was created.

      The Westwoods with their wrought iron work were forging strong links with the past as they worked together. They were carrying on a traditional craft which came to England from Venice in the 14th Centruy - an example of iron work of this period is the iron gate leading to the choir stalls in the Cathederal at St. Albans. The Westwoods in 1913 made all the wrought iron work for the Church of St. Peters at Gustard Wood, and due to a last minute decision to have wrought iron altar rails, Harry worked for a fortnight almost to the point of exhaustion, in order to complete the work in time.

      They also made the gates at Shaw's Corner for Bernard Shaw. Alf is the proud possessor of two of Bernard Shaw's famous short pertinent post cards.

      Further examples of their work are the Churchyard gates at Wheathampstead, the lovely gates at Red Gables, West Common, Harpenden and at Mr Waltons, Amwell Lane. Also Inn signs at the Plough and Harrow, Wheathampstead and the Harrow, Harpenden. Many homely pieces of domestic iron work like door knockers, bell pulls and foot scrapers can be seen everywhere in the village of Wheathampstead.

      Harry won the Bronze Medal of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths for his work, but his greatest satisfaction was penned by Bernard Shaw in his brief post card which read "Job well done etc."





      Presumed family members with him on 1939 register. He is a widower, as Louisa pre-deceased him in 1936.
    Person ID I6348  Warren Nunn's family tree
    Last Modified 25 Oct 2022 

    Father James WESTWOOD,   b. Oct 1850, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 3 Oct 1906, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 56 years) 
    Mother Mary Ann GRAY,   b. Abt 1848, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this locationd. UNKNOWN, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage 7 Apr 1871  Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • England Marriages, 1538-1973: Name: James Westwood Birth Date: 1851 Age: 20
      Spouse's Name: Mary Ann Gray Spouse's Birth Date: 1848 Spouse's Age: 23
      Event Date: 1871 Event Place: Wheathampstead, Hertford, England Father's Name: Thomas Westwood Spouse's Father's Name: Charles Gray Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M00808-7
      System Origin: England-VR GS Film number: 1040873 Reference ID: 2:3M175X4
      "England Marriages, 1538-1973 ," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N6HN-4GD : accessed 28 Jul 2013), James Westwood and Mary Ann Gray, 1871.
    Family ID F1899  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Louisa Maria HOWARD,   b. Jul 1877, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 19 Nov 1936, NectonRd, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 59 years) 
    Marriage 5 Nov 1902  Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • 1902 marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Wheathampstead in the county of Hertford. No 196, 5 Nov 1902, Henry George Westwood, aged 27, bachelor, blacksmith, of Wheathampstead, son of James Westwood, blacksmith, and Louise Maria Howard, aged 25, spinster, of Wheathampstead, dau of William Henry Howard (deceased), tailor. Witnesses: Alfred Lambeth Freeman, Nellie Maud Westwood, Thomas Westwood
    Children 
     1. Grace Marian WESTWOOD,   b. 31 Oct 1904, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Apr 1978, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 73 years)
     2. Alfred Henry WESTWOOD,   b. 14 Jul 1907, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 30 Jun 1979, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 71 years)
     3. Phyllis Louise WESTWOOD,   b. 1 May 1910, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1 Jul 2000, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 90 years)
     4. Dorothy WESTWOOD,   b. 3 Aug 1913, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 20 Jan 1980, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 66 years)
     5. Cecil WESTWOOD,   b. 3 Jun 1914, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Nov 2003, Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 89 years)
     6. Edward James WESTWOOD,   b. 20 Feb 1920, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 12 Jan 1980, St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, UK Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 59 years)
    Family ID F2056  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 4 Jan 2025 

  • Photos
    6348HWestwood.jpg
    Henry George Westwood on 1921 UK Census


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