judy olsen wrote: > I am getting a bit muddled as to where John was and when, but just to > chuck into the pot.... SOK, I get confused as well from time to time :)) I tell you how this particular PYE family connected to the MONTEFIOREs, a suspected buccaneer and an elusive, evasive English born soldier in the US Cavalry who seems to have hijacked another family's history, but I won't <BG> 1829 Stanton upon Hine Heath (probably) 1861 Shawbury 1871 Shawbury 1875 High Ercall 1879 Atcham 1881 Shrewsbury 1891 Atcham 1901 Shrewsbury 1906 Atcham 1912 Shawbury (probably)(Death certificate on order) > Blacksmithing was a capital intensive and sought after trade. Setting > up a new business in a new town would be difficult - you would have > to muscle in on the existing trade as well as finding a forge to work > in. You can often see men taking on their sons and nephews as > apprentices and in this case at least one son took up the trade. Its > a bit like foxes - the countryside can only support a given number, > after which the extra ones starve. He would have had some money behind him then. > > But...Shropshire had industry as well as agriculture. Blacksmithing > was an industrial trade as well as a rustic one. Perhaps part of the > story was the offer of good money to work for an employer, even > temporarily. I think that is the most feasible explanation, esp if more than one son took up blacksmithing, or a son in law. Maybe he handed over his forge to that son/in law if he got an offer he couldn't refuse. Further investigation into John's children is called for methinks :)) Many thanks :)) The picture is getting clearer.