Forged in Steel: A history of the Moss family of edge tool makers in Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex
Resource type
Journal article
Creator (person)
Anderson-Whymark, Hugo
Date published
2026
Abstract
Between c.1800 and 1915, the Moss family manufactured edge tools in traditional hand forges in Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex. Based in one of the most wooded areas of the country, they specialised in manufacturing high quality woodworking tools, including many of their own distinctive patterns.The tolls were supplied to local markets over a c.20 mile radius of their original forges in Conford, north east Hampshire, including Chichester to the south and Guilford to the north.
This article provides a comprehensive account of the Moss edge tool business, including details of the individuals involved and their forges. It also presents an overview of their principal products and marks. The latter are assigned to individual makers, workshops and date ranges, where possible.
The development and success of the Moss family's traditional hand forge business in the early to mid-nineteenth century provides a valuable counterpoint to narratives of increasing industrialisation from the late eighteenth century onwards, highlighting challenges faced by tool manufacturing centres, such as Birmingham and Sheffield, in accessing conservative regional markets. The Moss edge tool business, however, began to decline in the mid-1880s and the last forge closed in 1915. This paper explores some of the contributing factors to the industry's demise, including the expansion of product lines to include numerous regional forms and extensive marketing by the water-powered forges of James, Issac and John Fussell in Frome, Somerset and subsequently Isaac Nash and Sons in Stourbridge.
Journal title
Tools and Trades: The journal and newsletter of the Tools and Trades History Society
Issue
163
Publisher
Tools and Trades History Society
Official URL
Rights statement
In Copyright