By Mark Wiles
Robert Vigar was one of those people who seemed to be able to turn his hand to anything with skill and total commitment.
Not only was he the local Farrier and Blacksmith, he became the Captain of the local Fire Brigade, and also bandmaster as well.
Robert was born in 1844 at Tyler’s Green, Godstone the eldest some of Robert Vigar Senior and his second wife Eliza Kesterton. Following in his father’s footsteps he was apprenticed to Jane Plowman of Lacey Green Coulsdon. A female blacksmith I hear you question. Her husband Reuben had died 8 years earlier and she had continued to manage the forge. In the census of 1861 the 71 year old Mrs Plowman is assisted by her foreman George Broadbridge, and journeyman John Chandler (A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification and is considered as competent as a fully qualified employee). Robert was also listed as then a 16 year old apprentice. Having completed his apprenticeship in 1863, he moved to Penge to gain experience as a coach smith and extra shoeing hand.
On the 31st August 1867 Robert married, at St Mary’s Church Caterham, Henrietta, daughter of Thomas Grubb Farmer and Brickmaker.
Robert was persuaded by his father in law to settle back at Caterham by offering to a blacksmiths forge for him behind 6, Woodlands Cottages, Reigate Road (now the Raglan Precinct, Chaldon Road).
In 1869 Robert Vigar paid his first rate of 2s on his shop and house, rated at £6p.a. (levied by the vestry for the repair of the church).
In December 1871 Robert Vigar attended a Parish Vestry meeting with his father-in-law Thomas Grubb, and it’s from this time he became more involved in local affairs. A Parish Constable in 1872, he was elected to be way-warden on the Godstone Highways board in 1887 and 1888 and responsible for the up-keep of the local roads.
In the census on 1881 he is listed as a Master Blacksmith with four children, Henrietta, Sarah, Robert and Emma, who were twins.
By 1883 his business had prospered and he could afford to move and expand. Although the forge at Townend was only a few hundred yards away from his existing premises, it was a huge leap for him as he became a freeholder and not a tenant. He purchased the land from a Mr Redgate for £320 and through his savings and a loan he was able to build the forge, stables and a house.
1884 was a momentous year for Robert as his new Forge at Townend, Upper Caterham, with its adjoining house and stables at the rear, was ready for occupation. By June 1884 at the age of 40 he was settled into his new premises. Thomas Grubb’s faith in his son in law was fully justified as he had he always had a queue of horses waiting to be shod. His success and expertise, were also enhanced by many prize wins at agricultural shows. In 1881 he won first prize for showing hunters at the Bath and West of England Show held at Tunbridge Wells! He won similar prizes in 1892 at Royal Counties Shows, Redhill and The Great Yorkshire show in 1898. His greatest achievement however was at the Royal Show at Carlisle where he became Champion Farrier of all England. This led to membership of the Worshipful Company of Farriers and the Freedom of the City of London.
It is from this time that he began to use the Farrier’s Company’s coat of arms, and he became a judge at agricultural shows.
As well as his skill as a farrier he was also a skilled blacksmith, his order book for the period 1908 to 1912 shows the variety of his business – making soldered zinc baths and fish kettles, grinding scissors and shears, sharpening knives, saws, servicing lawn mowers, and sending his men out to repair kitchen ranges and carriages. He even provided a tin tray for Viscountess Sherbrook’s parrot cage at 1s 6d!
By early 1911, Robert had converted a front room on his double fronted house into an ironmonger’s, and had also opened a shoeing forge in the Croydon Road (next to Kilby’s Livery stables) to support his Caterham Valley customers. He was also supporting the Caterham Urban District Council with repairs to the Council’s steamroller, and sharpening picks, mattocks etc.
By early 1911, Robert had converted a front room on his double fronted house into an ironmonger’s, and had also opened a shoeing forge in the Croydon Road (next to Kilby’s Livery stables) to support his Caterham Valley customers. He was also supporting the Caterham Urban District Council with repairs to the Council’s steamroller, and sharpening picks, mattocks etc.
In 1889 he was appointed Captain of Caterham’s newly created Fire Brigade. The idea of a Fire Brigade was first suggested at a vestry meeting in 1881 by the Mayor of Reigate but it was not until 1889 that it was agreed at a Special Vestry Meeting, to fund out of the poor rate, a Fire Engine, Ladder and Fire escape for general use in the parish. The Merryweather Manual Fire Engine that was purchased was in service for 40 years; it required 12 firemen, 6 to operate the engine and 6 to fight the fire, and it was drawn by 2 cart horses. The firemen, all volunteers, were paid a retaining fee of 24s pa, although a 6s rise was approved in 1911 after it was pointed out that they had not had a rise for 22 years! They also received 7s 6d for the first hours’ firefighting and 5s for subsequent hours.
Captain Vigar was determined to turn the brigade into an efficient fire fighting force despite local difficulties. Caterham (as now) was divided into two communities, Upper Caterham and the Valley but with only one fire engine. As a compromise the fire engine was housed in a small building at the corner of the High street and Chaldon Road, but the fire escape ladder was kept in the Valley in a corrugated iron hut – it was not until 1900 that a second fire escape was purchased for the Hill. The Hill/Valley issue also affected raising the volunteer firemen; telephones connected the Hill and Valley and alarm bells were installed in fireman’s homes. These worked well at night, but during the day, the firemen had to be summoned from their workplaces by call boys. Horses also had to be found from the Townend fields. Despite these problems, the Valley brigade could be on the scene of a fire within 6 minutes, with the Hill brigade not far behind. This efficiency was down to Captain Vigar’s regular drills.
Robert was also involved with the Old Surrey Foxhounds and the Caterham Brass and Silver bands, being bandmaster of I Company of the 1st Battalion West Surrey Regiment. He sang in the St Marys Church Choir and received in 1921 a handsome cushioned armchair from the clergy, churchwardens and choir to mark his 53 years as a chorister.
On Friday 16th March 1923 Robert Vigar died. The funeral procession stretched from St Mary’s Church to his Forge at Townend, led by the silver band, The Merryweather Fire Engine carried his coffin on which was laid his full uniform and helmet. Representatives from Local Authorities, the Fire Brigades, the Master Farriers and Friendly Societies were present, his obituary called him “Grand Old Man of Caterham”.
Robert Vigar had lived in Caterham for 54 years and saw it grow from a village of 2,000 to a town of nearly 12,000. He lived his life according to the motto “Trifles make perfection but perfection is no trifle”. After his death his son in law George Ibbotson, took over the Forge and his daughters managed the Ironmongers shop. His son, Robert Thomas, opened a cycle shop in the High St.
Acknowledgements: Jean Tooke’s Bygone Caterham & Additional information provided by Ray Howgego and the Bourne Society.
All images from postcards courtesy of the East Surrey Museum.
