A view of Norton National School and Norton Smithy on Norton Green, with some of the terraced housing on East Row visible through the trees. The school was built in 1833 for the education of poor children. 1951 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
The Toc H room on Norton Green: was it a sort of drop-in centre for ex-servicemen, or something more general as a community centre? I know about Toc H’s general history – eg the centre at Poperingue near Ypres in WWI – but what was it offering in Norton in later years? And when did it cease its local operation?
My mother Gladys Mee was a member of the Norton Toc H, they did a lot of charity work in the 1940 -50-60 era when charity was normally rather hard to come by, no charity shops or collections back then. They were a mixed bunch of Ladies and Men who did good works where possible and also a sort of club for the members.
In the immediate aftermath of the war when men and women came back home some after years away they were sent home to get on with their lives as if nothing had happened, there were problems and people like Toc H some of the little help they could get. Families split and again often depended on charitable organisations to get by.
Attendances dropped off as young people had other things to do and finally they had to become a fully voluntary movement, no paid officers but still alive as far as I know.
Sheraton Barton is my great-great grandfather. His daughter (only child) emigrated to Canada in 1921. He married twice to Mary White in 1845, then to Mary Grayton 1869. I am guessing you are related to Mary White who was born Norton. He was indeed a blacksmith. My aunt has one of his creations and another has a clock presented to him when he left Bishopton. He died 1890 of cancer. He has many descendants in Canada, mainly western Canada.
Whilst doing some research into the Norton side of my family I came across a Sheraton Barton (husband of my gt,gt,gt aunt)whom I believe was the blacksmith at the Norton smithy between 1851 and 1871. During the mid 1950″s I rode ponies from Fairfield to Norton to be shod at the Smithy on The Green.
Bob Irwin dead right Bob the shop was my fathers, 2/6d I think we charged for a saw sharpen,1/3d for scissors and knives, he used to stand for hours at the bench filing away,I worked in the shop after leaving Frederick Nattress in the early 60s, there is a photograph of the shop somewhere on Picture Stockton if you care to search.
In 1949 the shop next to the Smithies was Mary Fosters. Around the corner in those days was Hawes Shop. Who I believe had something to do with Hawes Farm and Woods over the Station Fields. In between these shops were large gates leading into a yard where there was a room that The “Toc H” had there meetings. On the building where Hawes Shop is there was a “lightning conductor” on the chimney. A copper band ran all the way down to the near bottom of this building but was bedded into the seams after the first row of bricks. This acted as a “damp proof course.” This was a way of preventing the damp rising into the building by the heat generated from the conductor. Fred Webster. I seem to remember a Websters Shop in the High Street. He sold joinery tools and equipment. I used to get my saws sharpened there and bought the odd chisel. Any relation?
The earliest recorded Smith was Thomas Spurnhare, church and village smith 1252. He was involved in a law suit against the Bishop of Durham, Walter de Kirkham in that while attending at the bishops House in stockton he was set on by the Bishops servants , his tools , 6 “stithes of iron” taken and his cart wrecked , while he was “beaten about the body” The local Halmote-Court settled for Thomas, had his tools returned and the sum of 6d for his injuries was payed. The end of the Blacksmith in Norton in late 1960s saw a tradition end also. When a smith died the new smith raked out the forge fire except for one log, or later coal, a New Start-fire was built around this ember , so the fire extinguished in the mid 20th c had been burning for over 800 years in the Village ! The Smithy (now Anvil-House) is still there and its possible to trace the outline of the travel beam of the large sliding door on its North side wall
Norton Green 1951 The Smithy – At this time Mr J Samuleson, was Blacksmith and Farrier. Before 1914 ‘The Forge serviced over 100 local horse, Gentry farm and ‘hack There is still a ‘shadow’ beam of the North end sliding door visible
In the background Friends Meeting House, In village from the 1670s , the building shown dates from 1903, The white building next to ‘Quakers is the ‘Home-Farm’ of mid 18th c Norton House home of the Hogg Family, demolished 1934