Farrier

[NFurniss]

My grandfather was a farrier in the British Army. I have tried to find a Farrier Guild or Farrier Association. Can anyone help me with this please?

[Jan1954]

It is the Worshipful Company of Farriers that you could need: wcf.org.uk/

[NFurniss]

Thanks Jan1954. Now I have looked back at my old records, I find that I contacted the Worshipful Company about five years ago. They did not know much about Army farriers but suggested that I get in touch with the Army Veterinary Service. I wasn't able to find their address.

[Jan1954]

Try the Royal Army Veterinary Corps: army.mod.uk/army-medical-services/5320.aspx

There is a "contact us" link at the bottom of the page and you can send them an email enquiry.

Good luck.

[NFurniss]

Thanks Jan1954. I now have the Vets web site in my sights. I shall see if I can find out more about my Boer War participant grandfather from the Corps archives. That is, if the records go back far enough. We shall find out.

[Peter Goodey]

What exactly are you trying to find out?

If you just want the service record for a Boer War participant, it doesn't matter (initially) what regiment or corps he was in. Discharge papers (normally the first thing to try) are simply filed at the National Archives in alphabetical order of surname.

See this research guide

[NFurniss]

Perhaps for the interest of researchers I should explain that I already have my grandfather's records from a very helpful National Archives. I want to find out exactly what he did in the 1st Leicestershire Regiment. He joined as a private soldier, falsifying his age in 1884. His civilian occupation was Blacksmith. He was a horseman in an infantry regiment. During the Boer War campaign he was a dispatch rider to General Buller. My mother described him as a farrier.

The Army Veterinary service was not properly functional at the time and I believe that the welfare of the horses was the responsibility of men with the necessary experience but who were not classified as vets or blacksmiths. The army must have had its own set of standards. The occupations of soldiers were many and varied. Capital letter labels very seldom tell the whole story.

[ChristineR]

A farrier fits horse shoes, and has knowledge about the proper care of the horse's hooves and limbs - vital for the health of the horse. I would imagine that the army would have already manufactured horseshoes supplied to them, to save time, so only his farrier skills would be needed. Though he would have had to shape and or trim the shoes as needed to fit. His general knowledge of horsecare would be utilized, and there would be many horses even though it was an infantry battalion.