Obs. Forms: 4–8 ferrer, 4–5 ferour, 5–6 ferror, -our(e, 6 farrour, (5 ferere, -owre, ferrur, 6 farrer, ferrar). [a. OF. ferreor, ferour (Fr. ferreur) = Sp. herrador, It. ferratore:—med.L. ferrātōr-em, agent-n. f. ferrāre to shoe horses, f. ferrum iron, in med.L. horseshoe: see FARRIER.]
1. A worker in iron; a smith.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 407. God is a ferour and he is Goddis instrument.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1593. Fferrers, flechours, fele men of crafte.
14[?]. Nominale, in Wr.-Wülcker, 686. Hic farrator, a ferrur.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 157/2. Ferrowre, smythe, ferrarius.
1583. Golding, Calvin on Deut. cxxxvii. 845. The Farrour or locksmith hath an anuel.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XIV. xi. 28. Andriscus … she taught the Ferrars craft, for to get his living.
2. = FARRIER 1.
1426. E. E. Wills (1882), 76. I make myn executours, William Frye of Deuenshire, my wife, Iohn Carpinter, comoun clerk, & Iohn Spore, ferroure.
c. 1515. Cocke Lorell’s B. (Percy Soc.), 9. Brydel bytters, blacke smythes, and ferrars.
1552. Huloet, Ferroure, horseleche, or smythe whyche cureth horses, veterinarius medicus.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 480. Poppæa … was knowne to cause her Ferrers ordinarily to shooe her coach-horses and other palfreis … with cleane gold.
1798. Sporting Mag., XII. April, 21/1. Encouraged by the nobility and gentry, either as riding-masters, or ferrers.
3. With sb. prefixed as sergeant-, valet-, yeoman-ferrer: An official who had care of the horses in a large household.
1455. Househ. Ord. (1790), 23. [In] th’office of the Stable…. 1 Sergeant Ferrour. 1 Yoman Ferrour.
c. 1512. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 686. A tall yoman, somtyme sergeaunt ferrour to the kyng.
1541. Act 33 Hen. VIII., c. 12 § 16. The serieant or chief ferrour … shall … bringe with him the serynge yrons.
1601. F. Tate, Househ. Ord. Edw. II., § 56 (1876), 44. He shal haue a vallet ferrour under him to shue the horses.
