One of the earliest recorded anchorsmiths on the Yorkshire coast was at Scarborough as early as 1391. This was in the reign of King Richard the Second. He may well have been at the haven for some time, for he left a very brief will that year. We may wonder where he obtained his raw materials. Iron was found in several valleys of the North York Moors. The anchor smith's name was John of Eston, and we may presume he came from Cleveland. He bequeathed his anvil, his great hammer, two smaller ones and four pair of shears to his blood relation John Dowson. His apprentice, John, had another set of hammers and two pairs of shears. A final bequest gave two pence for the bellman. This must be one of the earliest mentions of a borough bellman, an officer still well known at Scarborough.
