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As settlements along the shorelines grew into villages, the demand for people who knew partic— ular trades grew. Crude forms of repair were carried out by the landowners when they settled with their families in our area at the beginning of the nineteenth century. However, as land was cleared and farm operations were enlarged, less time was available for the owner to strengthen his abilities - or perhaps his desires - in the works of the “smithy”. This job which required skill in the use of shaping of iron and steel was especially important during the winter months. Horses had to be shod so they would not fall on the ice.

The blacksmith in any rural community on Prince Edward Island held a very prominent place in the lives of the residents. His knowledge did not come from reading books since directions for making a horseshoe or tire a wagon wheel were not to be found there. His skill and understand— ing from watching and working with his ancestors had been his teacher. Today he has been replaced by automation. The efficient service station operator and the electric welder are two tradesmen who have replaced the blacksmith. Nevertheless, his work has withstood the test of

time and has not crumbled like some of our new gadgets and buildings.

The origin of blacksmithing takes us back to Genesis IV:22. Here we are told that Tubal Cain was “the instructor of every artifice in brass and iron”. As Charles MacKay suggests in the poem 'lhbal Cain, he was the person who made useful things as well as evil ones from his iron

and steel.

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Among the first “Islanders” who, the same as Tubal Cain, were “. . .taught the wisdom from the past, and /In friendship joined their hands”, [Tubal Cain] was Dougald Henry. He came to Stanley Bridge to work as a blacksmith when he was twenty-four years of age. Dougald was born in Malpeque in 1817. He learned the ﬁrst part of the blacksmith business with his brother, Edward, who was smithing in Cavendish at the shipyard owned by Alexander and James

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